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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..13c5c1e --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60415 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60415) diff --git a/old/60415-8.txt b/old/60415-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index 25bf83d..0000000 --- a/old/60415-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,11970 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of When William IV. Was King, by John Ashton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: When William IV. Was King - -Author: John Ashton - -Release Date: October 3, 2019 [EBook #60415] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Christine P. Travers and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: William IV.] - - - - - When - - WILLIAM IV. - - was King. - - - - - BY - JOHN ASHTON, - - AUTHOR OF - "SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE," ETC., ETC., ETC. - - WITH FORTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS. - - - - - LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, LD. - 1896. - - - - -[Illustration: Decoration.] - - - - -PREFACE. - - -Several "Life and Times of William IV." have been written, but they -all contain a great deal of "Life," and very little "Times." The -present book reverses this, and deals, primarily, with the chief -topics of conversation during the seven years of King William's reign, -and, afterwards, with the social aspect of the times. - -Although I treat of a period but sixty years since, it is a time of -which much is to be said which is unknown to the present generation, -and one which has had a deep and lasting influence on our own times. -Then began the mighty reign of steam; then was inaugurated the first -passenger railway, to which small beginning England owes so much. -Then, too, steam navigation began to be general, developing that -commerce which has been the making of the country. Science woke up, as -did Art, whilst the introduction of the Railway caused our -manufactures to progress by leaps and bounds. - -Politics have been avoided as much as possible; and, although the book -is necessarily somewhat discursive, I would fain hope it will be found -interesting; and, in the words of the writer of Maccabees (Book II. -xv. 38), I say, "Which if I have done well, and as it becometh the -history, it is what I desired, but, if not so perfectly, it must be -pardoned me." - - JOHN ASHTON. - - - - -[Illustration: Decoration.] - - - - -CONTENTS. - - Page. - -CHAPTER I. - -1830. - - Illness of George IV.--His death -- Sale of his clothes, etc. - -- The new King -- His character 1 - - -CHAPTER II. - -1830. - - Proclamation of William IV. -- The Beer Act -- The Queen and - gas -- Burial of George IV. -- The King and the Duke of - Cumberland -- The King as a soldier -- He meddles with the - uniforms of the army 8 - - -CHAPTER III. - -1830. - - The King as "_bon bourgeois_" -- Mobbed -- Street song about - him -- A sailor in Guildhall -- Behaviour of the public at - Windsor -- Charles X. in England -- The "New Police" -- A - modest advertisement 17 - - -CHAPTER IV. - -1830. - - Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway -- Death of Mr. - Huskisson -- Agricultural lawlessness -- Captain Swing -- - Executions for riot -- Riots throughout the country -- Special - Commissions -- Prayer to be used in churches and chapels 28 - - -CHAPTER V. - -1830. - - Duke of Wellington mobbed and stoned -- Owing to riots, the - King postponed his visit to the city -- No Lord Mayor's show, - nor dinner -- Riots in the city -- Apsley House besieged -- - Ireland proclaimed -- Ferment in the country -- Change of - Ministry -- Royal succession -- Scotch regalia -- Curious story - of a bank-note 37 - - -CHAPTER VI. - -1831. - - Incendiary fires -- Captain Swing -- The result of Cobbett's - lectures -- Special Commission -- Prosecution of Carlile -- - Election expenses -- List of Close boroughs -- Collapse of - Reform Bill -- The King stoned -- _Debût_ of Princess Victoria - -- The _Times_ and the House of Lords -- Bribery at elections - -- Action for libel -- "The King _v._ Cobbett" -- Prince - Leopold made King of the Belgians 49 - - -CHAPTER VII. - -1831. - - Opening of New London Bridge -- After the luncheon -- State of - the waiters -- Provision for the Princess Victoria -- Sale of - Sir Walter Scott's MSS. -- The coronation -- Its expenses -- A - "half crownation" -- The Lord Mayor and his gold cup 62 - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -1831. - - Scramble for coronation medals -- Bad weather -- Fireworks in - Hyde Park -- Absence from the ceremony of the Duchess of Kent - and Princess Victoria -- The _Times_ thereon -- Story of a - Great Seal -- Reform Bill rejected by the Lords -- Reform riots - in the country and London -- Windows of Apsley House broken by - the mob 74 - - -CHAPTER IX. - -1831. - - Reform procession -- The Corporation of London and the King -- - Dreadful riots at Bristol -- Riots in other parts of the - kingdom -- Edward Irving and the "Gift of Tongues" -- The - cholera -- Its spread -- State of Ireland -- Tithe agitation -- - Scarcity of food -- Repeal of the Union -- Cases of violence 85 - - -CHAPTER X. - -1832. - - Commissions at Bristol and Nottingham -- Executions -- - Employment of children in factories -- Cholera in London -- Day - of fast and humiliation -- Riot in Finsbury -- Cholera riot at - Paisley -- A small one in London -- Decrease of cholera -- - Number of deaths -- Cholera in Ireland -- A charm against it -- - Its effect on rooks -- The police, City and Metropolitan 101 - - -CHAPTER XI. - -1832. - - Reform Bill passes the Commons -- Scotch boys and the Reform - Bill -- Proposed increase of the peerage -- Passed in the Lords - -- "The Marylebone or Tory Hunt" -- The Duke of Wellington - mobbed -- The King stoned -- The Queen hissed -- Archbishop of - Canterbury stoned 114 - - -CHAPTER XII. - -1832. - - The first reformed Parliament -- Steam communication with India - -- State of Ireland -- Lawless behaviour -- Malversation of - justice -- O'Connell and the Trades' Political Union -- Crime - in Ireland 124 - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -1833. - - Employment of children in factories -- Evidence -- Passing of - Factory Act -- Gambling -- Crockford's club -- Gambling "hells" - -- Police case 132 - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -1833. - - The overland route to India -- The Government and Lieutenant - Waghorn -- Police magistrate and the press -- Cobbett and the - British Museum -- Prevalence of influenza -- "National - Convention" riot -- Policeman killed -- The coroner and the - jury -- Adulteration of tea 143 - - -CHAPTER XV. - -1833. - - The Queen's visit to the City -- Her unpopularity -- King's - dislike of the Duchess of Kent -- Hungerford Market opened -- - Death and funeral of Wilberforce -- Abolition of slavery -- - Synopsis of Act -- A Women's rowing match -- List of - periodicals and their circulation -- Return of Captain Ross -- - State of Ireland -- Passing of "Coercion Bill," etc. 154 - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -1834. - - Corporation commission -- Curious advertisement -- Discovery of - treasure -- Bribery at Liverpool -- Duke of York's statue -- - Trades' unions -- Skit thereon -- Riot at Oldham -- Unionist - oath -- Union meeting and monster petition -- Its fate -- Duke - of Wellington made Chancellor of Oxford -- The Princess - Victoria's lover 165 - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -1834. - - Crockford's and game -- The _chef_ in trouble -- Burning of the - Houses of Parliament -- The tapestry in the House of Lords -- - Story of one piece -- Temporary House of Lords -- Tithe riots - in Ireland -- Change of Ministry 178 - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -1835. - - First cargo of ice to India -- Election riots at Halifax and in - Scotland -- A female sailor -- The new temporary Houses of - Parliament -- The King and others hissed -- Question of - admitting ladies -- A political skit -- Deaths of Hunt and - Cobbett 189 - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -1835. - - Gambling house police case -- Curious superstition -- A cook's - letter to her mistress -- Jews and public employment -- Fire at - Hatfield House -- Curious discovery of jewels -- Scarcity in - Ireland 201 - - -CHAPTER XX. - -1836. - - Curious case of a girl stolen by gipsies -- Superstition _re_ - light at Christmas in the North of England -- Designs for New - Houses of Parliament -- King William III. statue blown up -- - Admission of ladies to the House of Commons -- Stuart impostors - -- An inter-university boat race -- How Cambridge came to have - light blue as a colour 214 - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -1836. - - Report on the British Museum -- The King and the Duchess of - Kent; a scene -- Inauguration of George III.'s Statue at - Charing Cross -- Poetry at the police court -- The trip of the - Nassau balloon 226 - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -1837. - - Epidemic of influenza -- A scene in some Metropolitan - graveyards -- Lord de Ros and his cheating at cards -- - Invention of sewing machine -- Coming of age of Princess - Victoria -- Illuminations, etc. -- The Spitalfield's silk - weavers' ball -- Illness of the King -- His death and burial 235 - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - Men's dress -- Education -- School advertisements -- The - original of Squeers -- Girls' schools -- Tea as a meal -- Food - -- A foreigner's sketch of an English dinner-party -- A - high-class dinner -- An ideal dinner 248 - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - Clubs -- Theatres -- Other amusements -- A foreigner's idea of - London -- London streets and noises -- "Buy a broom?" girls 262 - - -CHAPTER XXV. - - Holborn Viaduct -- Omnibuses -- Cabs -- Hansom's patent -- - Posting -- Mail coaches -- Stage coaches -- Hotels 277 - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - - Steam carriages on roads -- Commission thereon -- Steam omnibus - -- Railways -- A nuisance -- Railways started during the reign - -- Opening of the Greenwich Railway 286 - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - - Cases of wife selling -- Duelling -- Cases of -- O'Connell and - D'Israeli -- Other duels 295 - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - - Smuggling -- Its prevalence -- Cases -- Great smuggling of - silks, etc. -- More cases 311 - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - - Legitimate trade -- The "truck" system -- Its downfall -- State - of trade -- Newspaper stamps -- Steel pens -- Literature -- - List of authors -- Painters -- Sculptors 321 - - -CHAPTER XXX. - - Musicians -- Paganini -- His avarice -- Ole Bull -- Curious - musical instruments -- Jim Crow -- The opera and its singers -- - The ballet -- Actors, etc. -- Madame Vestris's leg 334 - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - - Architects and civil engineers -- Men of science -- - Scientific societies -- Medical men -- Lawyers -- "Tracts for - the Times" -- Curates' pay -- Flogging in the army and navy -- - Crime -- Transportation _versus_ hulks -- Stories of convicts 344 - - - - -[Illustration: Decoration.] - - - - -WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -1830. - - Illness of George IV.--His death--Sale of his clothes, etc.--The - new King--His character. - - -In the _Times_ of Friday, April 16, 1830, we have the following _Court -Circular_:-- - - "His Majesty, we regret to state, has experienced, during the - last few days, an attack of indisposition. The King took an - airing for some time on Monday. During the night his Majesty - became indisposed; Sir Henry Halford, who was in attendance at - the Palace that evening, and who, according to his usual - practice, slept there, left the Palace on Tuesday morning and - came to town, but thought it advisable to return to Windsor in - the evening. Sir Henry came to town on Wednesday morning, and - again returned to the Palace; when, finding that the King's - attack of illness had increased, Sir Henry sent for Sir Matthew - Tierney at an early hour yesterday morning. Sir Matthew - immediately left town: on his arrival at the Palace, the two - medical gentlemen held a consultation on the state of the King, - and, afterwards, issued the following bulletin, a few minutes - before one o'clock:-- - - _Windsor Castle, April 15._ - - _We regret to state that the King has had a bilious attack, - accompanied by an embarrassment in breathing. His Majesty, - although free from fever, is languid and weak._ - - (_Signed_) HENRY HALFORD. - MATTHEW JOHN TIERNEY. - - "No alteration taking place in the state of the King, Sir Henry - Halford, shortly after the issuing of the Bulletin, left the - Castle in his carriage and four, for London. Sir Matthew Tierney - remained in attendance on his Majesty during the whole of - yesterday afternoon and evening, and it was arranged would sleep - at the Palace. His Majesty remaining much in the same state - during the afternoon, Sir Henry was not sent for, but would, it - was expected, remain in Town during last night." - -This was the first intimation, to the nation, of the serious condition -of George the Fourth. He was paying the penalty for the irregularities -of his life, by suffering from a complication of diseases; -inflammation of the chest, gout in the stomach, dropsy, ossification -of the heart, bile, and asthma. Latterly, he had retired to Virginia -water, where he lived at the so-called "Cottage," solaced by the -society of Lady Conyngham, and existing chiefly on brandy and curaçoa. -His age (for he was in his sixty-eighth year) was against his -recovery, and at 3.13 a.m. on the 26th of June, 1830, he expired. He -was in bed when the stroke of death fell upon him. The page next him, -instantly proceeded to raise his Majesty, according to the motion -which he signified by his finger. The King was, at once, assisted into -a chair at his bedside, and a great alteration struck the page, as -overcasting the royal countenance; the King's eyes became fixed, his -lips quivered, and he appeared to be sinking into a fainting fit. The -physicians were instantly sent for, and the attendants at once -assisted the King with sal volatile, eau de cologne, and such -stimulants as were at hand on the table. At this moment his Majesty -attempted to raise his hand to his breast, faintly ejaculating, "O -God! I am dying;" and, after a pause of two or three seconds, he -uttered the following words, which were his last: "This is death!" - -So passed away George the Magnificent--and the Marchioness of -Conyngham immediately began to pack up and hurry off, whither, no one -exactly knew. What she took with her was never known; but, later on, -she had to disgorge some very valuable jewels. Needless to say, there -was a grand funeral; and then came the sale of his wardrobe and -effects, of which Greville writes[1]:-- - -[Footnote 1: The "Greville Memoirs," edit. 1875, vol. ii. p. 23.] - - "August 3, 1830.--I went, yesterday, to the sale of the late - King's wardrobe, which was numerous enough to fill Monmouth - Street, and sufficiently various and splendid for the wardrobe of - Drury Lane. He hardly ever gave anything away, except his linen, - which was distributed every year. These clothes are the - perquisites of his pages, and will fetch a pretty sum. There are - all the coats he has ever had for fifty years; three hundred - whips, canes without number, every sort of uniform, the costumes - of all the orders in Europe, splendid furs, pelisses, - hunting-coats and breeches, and, among other things, a dozen pair - of corduroy breeches he had made to hunt in, when Don Miguel was - here. His profusion in these articles was unbounded, because he - never paid for them, and his memory was so accurate, that one of - his pages told me he recollected every article of dress, no - matter how old, and that they were always liable to be called on - to produce some particular coat, or other article of apparel of - years gone by." - -The _Times_ (August 18, 1830) says-- - - "The late King's wardrobe has been selling, for the last - fortnight, at the warehouse of Mr. Bailey, the King's Upholder, - in Mount Street, Grosvenor Square. The property was immense. It - was the perquisites of the Pages of the Back Stairs, six in - number; and we hear that the sale realized £15,000. The Earl of - Chesterfield gave 200 guineas for a sable pelisse, which has - since been valued at 600, and was a present from the Emperor - Alexander. The Marquis of Hertford was among the purchasers. - There were many pairs of boots and shoes, which were sold at - 5_s._ per pair, one with the other, to a person in the trade. - There were numerous pairs of silk stockings. The cambric and silk - handkerchiefs produced a guinea each, although the pages said - they were not worth more than 7_s._ each. The cellar of snuff was - bought by Mr. Pontet, of Pall Mall, for £400." - -This latter fact is scarcely correct. It was bought by Messrs. -Freybourg and Treyer, of the Haymarket, who set apart a special room -for its sale. - -To finish up with the sale of the royal effects, we read in the -_Gentleman's Magazine_, of June 9, 1831, that-- - - "A portion of his late Majesty's costly and splendid wardrobe, - destined for public sale, including the magnificent coronation - robes and other costumes, was sold by auction, by Mr. Phillips, - at his rooms in New Bond Street. There were 120 lots disposed of, - out of which we subjoin the principal, in the order in which they - were put up-- - - "No. 13. An elegant yellow and silver sash of the Royal - Hanoverian Guelphic Order, £3 8_s._--17. A pair of fine kid - trousers, of ample dimensions, and lined with white satin, was - sold for 12_s._--35. The Coronation ruff, formed of superb - Mechlin lace, £2.--50. The costly Highland costume, worn by our - late Sovereign at Dalkeith Palace, the seat of his Grace the Duke - of Buccleugh, in the summer of 1822, was knocked down at - £40.--52.[2] The sumptuous crimson velvet Coronation mantle, with - silver star, embroidered with gold, in appropriate devices, and - which cost, originally, according to the statement of the - auctioneer, upwards of £500, was knocked down at 47 guineas.--53. - A crimson coat to suit with the above, £14.--55. A magnificent - gold body dress and trousers, 26 guineas.--67. An extraordinary - large white aigrette plume, brought from Paris by the Earl of - Fife, in April, 1815, and presented by his lordship to the King, - was sold for £15.--87. A richly embroidered silver tissue - Coronation waistcoat and trunk hose, £13.--95. The splendid - purple velvet Coronation mantle, sumptuously embroidered with - gold, of which it was said to contain 200 ounces. It was knocked - down at £55, although it was stated to have cost his late Majesty - £300.--96. An elegant and costly green velvet mantle, lined with - ermine of the finest quality; presented by the Emperor Alexander - to his late Majesty, which cost upwards of 1000 guineas, was - knocked down at £125." - -[Footnote 2: Now on exhibition at Madame Tussaud's Waxworks show.] - -These prices do not show that the people cared much to possess relics -of their late sovereign; indeed, he was speedily forgotten, and all -eyes were turned to the rising sun. The newspapers teemed with -anecdotes of him, from his childhood upwards (mostly very sorry -stuff), and, oblivious of his errors, inanity, and frivolity, the -people hailed William (why or wherefore?) as "The Patriot King." Until -the death of the Duke of York, he had excited no more public interest -than any of the other royal princes; but when that event took place, -he was looked upon as heir to the throne, had an increased grant from -Parliament, and lived a somewhat retired life at Bushey Park, with his -wife, Amelia Adelaide, eldest child of George, Duke of -Saxe-Coburg-Meiningen, whom he married on July 18, 1818. - -His life, previous to his accession to the throne, is not within the -province of this book--it is sufficient to say that at no time was he -remarkable for his intellect, tractability, or social manners. Hear -what Greville,[3] an acute observer, even if he were somewhat of a -cynic, says about him at his accession-- - -[Footnote 3: "The Greville Memoirs," vol. ii. edit. 1875.] - - "London, July 16.--I returned here on the 6th of this month, and - have waited these ten days to look about me, and see and hear - what is passing. The present King and his proceedings occupy all - attention, and nobody thinks any more of the late King, than if - he had been dead fifty years, unless it be to abuse him and rake - up all his vices and misdeeds. Never was elevation like that of - William IV. His life has, hitherto, passed in obscurity and - neglect, in miserable poverty, surrounded by a numerous progeny - of bastards, without consideration or friends, and he was - ridiculous from his grotesque ways and little meddling curiosity. - Nobody ever invited them into their house, or thought it - necessary to honour him with any mark of attention or respect; - and so he went on for about forty years, till Canning brought him - into notice by making him Lord High Admiral at the time of his - grand ministerial schism. In that post he distinguished himself - by making absurd speeches, by a morbid official activity, and by - a general wildness which was thought to indicate incipient - insanity, till shortly after Canning's death and the Duke's[4] - accession, it is well known, the latter dismissed him. He then - dropped back into obscurity, but had become, by this time, - somewhat more of a personage than he was before. His brief - administration of the Navy, the death of the Duke of York, which - made him heir to the throne, his increased wealth and regular - habits, had procured him more consideration, though not a great - deal. Such was his position when George IV. broke all at once, - and after three months of expectation, William finds himself - King." - -[Footnote 4: Wellington.] - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -1830. - - Proclamation of William IV.--The Beer Act--The Queen and - gas--Burial of George IV.--The King and the Duke of - Cumberland--The King as a soldier--He meddles with the uniforms - of the army. - - -On Monday, June 28, 1830, the king came at an early hour to St. -James's Palace to witness the ceremony of his proclamation, which was -duly done at 10 a.m., with the usual pomp, the heralds giving forth -that, with the acquiescence of everybody-- - - "We do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and - heart, proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince William, Duke of - Clarence, is now, by the death of the late Sovereign, of happy - memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord William - the Fourth, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain and - Ireland;" and so forth. - -It was a gay sight, for people had not had time to get into mourning -costume, and the bright summer dresses of the ladies made it a -brilliant show. - -He commenced his reign with a gracious act, which considerably added -to his popularity. Before the ceremony of proclamation he showed -himself at a window in St. James's Palace, before which some thousands -of people had assembled. According to the _Globe_-- - - "By some Jack-in-Office, the spectators were ordered to be - dispersed, which was speedily done by the Life Guards. On the - arrival of the heralds to proclaim the accession, the King - reappeared at his window, and, finding a vacant space below, - which, previously, was crowded, with some degree of surprise, - said, 'What has become of the people?' On being told they had - been removed, 'By whose order?' next inquired the King. He was so - dissatisfied with the answer as to command the gate of the - courtyard immediately to be re-opened, and the public to be - re-admitted, who soon re-assembled in great numbers, and cheered - their Sovereign most vociferously." - -The change of rulers did not affect Parliament. The Lords adjourned -for a day, and the Commons did very little business until all the -members had taken the oath of allegiance to the new sovereign, who -kept on the old Ministry, with the Duke of Wellington at its head. -Very shortly afterwards, the question of a Regency (the Princess -Victoria being only twelve years old) cropped up; and after that, on -July 12th, was read a third time and passed in the House of Lords "An -Act to permit the general Sale of Beer and Cyder by Retail in England" -(1 Gul. IV. c. lxiv.), which the _Times_ describes as "a great victory -obtained for the poor over the unpitying avarice of the rich." - -Beer always had been the standard drink of England, and, at this time, -no cheap substitute had been found for it. Tea was far too dear for -common folk, as was coffee, and cocoa or chocolate were only for the -well-to-do. This Act is virtually that under which beer-houses are now -licensed, which made a licence to sell beer _only_ easy to obtain. It -suited the times, and was very popular. A song, which is still sung, -but which dates from early Victorian times, makes a slight error as to -the intention of the Act, but it shows a grateful remembrance of the -same. It is called-- - - "I LIKES A DROP OF GOOD BEER." - - "Come one and all, both great and small - With voices loud and clear, - And let us sing, bless Billy the King, - Who bated the tax upon beer. - - _Chorus_: - - "_For I likes a drop of good beer, I does, - I'se pertickler fond of my beer, I is; - And ---- his eyes whoever he tries - To rob a poor man of his beer._" - -[Illustration: Opening the Beer Trade.] - -The accompanying illustration, by an anonymous artist, shows the Duke -of Wellington providing the people with beer, in a popular manner. It -is entitled "Opening the Beer Trade; or, Going into a New Line of -Business." - -The background is formed of two houses; one the sign of the King's -Head; the other, the Druggist's Arms. Outside the closed door of the -latter, which is "To let, enquire of the Brewers," stands Timothy -Mix'em, dealer in compounds, who, looking at the group, mournfully -remarks, "They'll soon shut up all the houses by opening the Trade." -The King's Head is kept by Arthur and Co., dealer in swipes, who -proclaims on his windows, "Genuine Beer, from Malt and Hops only," and -has a placard that the New Beer Act commences October 10, 1830. The -old Duke of Wellington says to the dustman and his wife, "Come, my -Britons, here's your real malt and hops;" whilst Peel, as pot-boy, -remarks, "No poisonous drugs here, my boys, it's all real stuff." - -On July 23rd, Parliament was dissolved. - -Ever since the accession of William IV. his slightest movements were -chronicled, even down to the smallest of small beer, such as[5]-- - -[Footnote 5: _Times_, July 12th.] - - "The Duke of Wellington, when at Windsor, a few days ago, - directed that the gas might be cut off from the interior of the - castle, by the desire of the Queen, who, we understand, - entertained apprehensions lest an accident might be caused by - explosion. Her Majesty's wishes will, of course, be immediately - complied with, and directions have already been given to the Gas - Company for the purpose." - -The movements of the Princess Victoria, who had now become a -personage, were also duly chronicled, and we are told how "The -presence of the Duchess (of Kent) and her interesting daughter will, -no doubt, attract numerous visitors to Malvern." - -George IV., after lying in state, was buried on July 15th, with all -the pomp usually accompanying the burial of a King of England. -Greville tells us how his successor behaved on this occasion-- - - "At the late King's funeral he behaved with great indecency. That - ceremony was very well managed, and a fine sight, the military - part particularly, and the Guards were magnificent. The - attendance was not very numerous, and, when they had all got - together in St. George's Hall, a gayer company I never beheld; - with the exception of Mount Charles, who was deeply affected, - they were all as merry as grigs. The King was chief mourner, and, - to my astonishment, as he entered the chapel, directly behind the - body, in a situation in which he should have been apparently, if - not really, absorbed in the melancholy duty he was performing, he - darted up to Strathaven, who was ranged on one side below the - Dean's stall, shook him heartily by the hand, and then went on - nodding to the right and left. He had, previously, gone as chief - mourner to sit for an hour at the head of the body as it lay in - state, and he walked in procession, with his household, to the - apartment. I saw him pass from behind the screen. Lord Jersey had - been in the morning to Bushey to kiss hands on being made - Chamberlain, when he had received him very graciously, told him - it was the Duke, and not himself, who had made him, but that he - was delighted to have him. At Windsor, when he arrived, he gave - Jersey the white wand; or, rather, took one from him he had - provided for himself, and gave it him again with a little speech. - When he went to sit in state, Jersey preceded him, and he said, - when all was ready, 'Go on to the body, Jersey; you will get your - dress coat as soon as you can.'" - -Personal gossip about the King, is not the scheme of this book; but, -as it formed the main topic of general conversation at the time, it -cannot be passed over. His brother, the greatly disliked Duke of -Cumberland, afterwards King of Hanover, had usurped the functions of -the other colonels of the guards, and had elected himself a permanent -Gold Stick, but the new monarch said his rank was too high for him to -perform such service, and relegated the office to its former footing, -that each colonel should share the office in turns. - -Nor was this the only friction between the brothers. The Duke of -Cumberland's horses had hitherto occupied the stables allotted to the -Queen, and when Lord Errol, her Master of the Horse, asked her where -she would have her horses stabled, she replied, she "did not know, but -he was to put them in their proper place." Accordingly, the King was -asked for an order to remove the duke's horses, which was given -through the Duke of Leeds, who went to the Duke of Cumberland, and -received for answer that "he would be d--d if they should go;" but on -its being represented to him that if he did not remove them, they -would be turned out, he sulkily gave way. - -The King, who, as every one knows, had been brought up as a sailor, -now turned his attention to things military, and his first review is -thus described by Greville-- - - "July 20.--Yesterday was a very busy day with his Majesty, who - is going much too fast, and begins to alarm his Ministers and - astonish the world. In the morning he inspected the Coldstream - Guards, dressed (for the first time in his life) in a military - uniform, and with a great pair of gold spurs half way up his legs - like a game-cock, although he was not to ride, for, having chalk - stones in his hands, he can't hold the reins." - -He next began to meddle with the uniforms, etc. in the army, doubtless -with a view to save the pockets of the officers, for army dress, under -George the Magnificent, had become very much gold belaced and -expensive; but of all the orders issued on August 2nd from the Horse -Guards, we will only take two. - -[Illustration: Adieu, my Moustachios!] - - "The moustachios of the Cavalry (excepting in the Life Guards, - the Horse Guards, and the Hussars) to be abolished, and the hair - of the non-commissioned officer and soldier throughout the - regular force to be cut close at the sides and back of the head, - instead of being worn in that bushy and unbecoming fashion - adopted by some regiments." - -The illustration on the opposite page is taken from a contemporary -song called "Adieu, my Moustachios!" Words by T. Haynes Bayly; music -by J. Blewitt, and the first verse runs thus-- - - "Adieu, my moustachios! farewell to my tip! - Lost, lost is the pride of my chin and my lip! - When Laura last saw me she said that the world - Contain'd no moustachois so charmingly curl'd! - But razors are ruthless, my honours they nip, - Adieu, my moustachois! farewell to my tip!" - -[Illustration: Raising the Wind by Royal Authority.] - -Order No. 2 was as follows:-- - - "The four regiments of Hussars to be dressed exactly alike. Their - officers to have one dress only, and that of a less costly - pattern, which will forthwith be prepared." - -Of course, this, like the former ukase, could not escape the satirist, -and we have the accompanying illustration by R. S. entitled, "RAISING -THE WIND BY ROYAL AUTHORITY. His Majesty intends diminishing the -extravagant expense of the Military Officer's dress. _See the -papers._" - -Here we see the Jew old clothesmen chaffering against each other and -bargaining with Hussar Officers for their compulsorily left-off -finery. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -1830. - - The King as "_bon bourgeois_"--Mobbed--Street song about him--A - sailor in Guildhall--Behaviour of the public at Windsor--Charles - X. in England--The "New Police"--A modest advertisement. - - -The King affected the _bon bourgeois_, which, after the regal -etiquette of the late King, rather astonished the lieges. The -_Magazine of Fashions_ for August, says-- - - "He comes unexpectedly and unattended, as they are trooping the - guard at St. James's, attired like a private gentleman, and nods - graciously to the people, passes jokes with the officers, and - tells the privates 'they shall rise by their own merits.' - - "He comes to town on the dickey of his own chariot. - - "He goes to Somerset House in a pair-horse carriage without a - lancer, dragoon, or policeman to attend him, because he says, - 'his guards are his people;' and he stops purposely in the - streets that the people may say 'they have seen a King!' - - "He employs a hairdresser in Water Lane, Fleet Street, to make - his coachman's white and curled wigs; because the poor fellow, - when he knew better days, lived at the West End, and was employed - by the then Duke of Clarence. We have seen these wigs being made. - - "He has all the members of his family, as a family, about him, - and 'harmony and affection' is his favourite toast. - - "He neither likes moustaches nor foreign servants; because the - one disguises an Englishman's face, and the other dupes an - Englishman's pocket. - - "He observes an old sailor upon the lamp-post, near Somerset - House, who gets aloft 'to look out for his captain' (old blue - trouser's own words), and he sends him enough to rum it for a - week. - - "He overhauls the documents of the Navy Pay Office, to ascertain - if any arrears of pay or prize-money are due to the seamen; and - he orders refreshments to the poor recruits, to encourage them to - become soldiers. - - "He meets two _ladies_ (by character as well as title) in St. - James's, one of whom solicits the honour to kiss his hand. - 'Madam,' says the gallant monarch, 'my glove for courtiers, but - _my cheek for ladies_; may I _be permitted to touch yours_?' Lady - M---- 'wore her _blushing_ honours thick about her.' - - "He asks people to dinner in the style of a friend, rather than a - command, and does not require their presence if they have 'a - better engagement.' - - "Above all things, he impresses upon those who pay their respects - to him officially, or visit him familiarly, that his friends are - the Queen's. - - "He proceeds in person, and in a style becoming the splendour of - the Crown, to dissolve Parliament, appearing himself in the - costume of a thorough-paced sailor; thus practising in his own - person the precepts he command--thus giving countenance to his - fellow-tars appearing in his presence in the dress which they can - afford to procure, and in which they have conquered. - - "His Majesty, we hear, paid great attention to Sir Robert Wilson - at the _levée_, and, after conversing with him familiarly for - some time, said, in conclusion, 'Meet me to-night at Sussex's, - and bring your daughters with you.' - - "A female servant of Mr. Brown, of Northampton, being in town - with her mistress, was permitted to go to the review on Monday - last, and, having obtained liberty from one of the soldiers to - pass in front of the ranks, she approached the Royal carriage - without knowing it, and asked one of the Ladies of Honour, 'Which - is the Queen?' The Queen, hearing the inquiry, immediately - answered, 'I am the Queen!' 'Oh, do show me the King, then!' The - King, hearing the request, instantly turned round, and said with - a smile, 'I am the King!' evidently enjoying her amazement and - delight. The Queen permitted the woman to hold her hand, which - she had seized in the hurry of the moment, for several minutes." - -Greville gives us a sketch of his _bourgeoisie_ and its consequences-- - - "All this was very well; no great harm in it; more affable, less - dignified than the late King; but, when this (a Privy Council) - was over, and he might very well have sat himself quietly down - and rested, he must needs put on his plainer clothes, and start - on a ramble about the streets, alone, too. In Pall Mall he met - Watson Taylor, and took his arm, and went up St. James's Street. - There he was followed by a mob, making an uproar, and when he got - near White's, a woman came up and kissed him. Belfast (who had - been sworn in Privy Councillor in the morning), who saw this from - White's, and Clinton, thought it time to interfere, and came out - to attend him. The mob increased, and, always holding Mr. - Taylor's arm, and flanked by Clinton and Belfast, who got shoved - and kicked about, to their inexpressible wrath, he got back to - the Palace, amid shouting and bawling and applause. When he got - home, he asked them to go in and take a quiet walk in the garden, - and said, 'Oh, never mind all this; when I have walked about a - few times they will get used to it, and take no notice.' - - "They even sang songs about him in the streets, of which the - following is one:-- - - "THE KING AND THE SAILOR. - - "In Portsmouth town, at the sign of the Ship, - A jolly Jack Tar sat drinking flip; - A messmate was there, who spun him a yarn - That we'd a new King, he'd soon give him to larn. - - "Says sailor Ben to sailor Jim, - 'He's a King and a sailor trim, - And 'bout him there's no palaver or fuss, - A cause, don't you know, he is one of us.' - - "Says sailor Ben to his messmate Jim, - 'He knows that I've sailed under him; - And when our ship's paid off at Chatham, - I'll go and have a good stare at 'em.' - - "Now Ben Block he arriv'd at the park, - And soon the King and Queen did mark; - Says Ben, says he, 'I'll bet you a tanner, - He hails you in a King-like manner.' - - [Illustration: Bourgeoisie.] - - "'Ye ho!' says Ben, and he soon brought-to, - And his boatswain's whistle out he drew; - When the King turn'd round with pride and joy, - 'Halloo!' says he 'what ship ahoy?' - - "Now Ben, he answered with a grin, - 'The _Royal Charlotte_ I've sailed in; - She was nam'd arter your royal mother, - Whose great and glorious son you are!' - - The King the hand of Ben he shook, - And said, 'At that time I was a Mid;' - Then Ben lugged out his 'bacca box, - And said to the King, '_Come, take a quid_.' - - "'If you won't, the Queen may like a bit, - Mayhap, like one of the Indian squaws;' - So he scrap'd up to her, and offered his box, - 'No, thank ye,' says she, '_I never chaws_.' - - "The King, he gave promotion to Ben, - So he thought that he'd steer back again; - But the Queen, he thought he first would tell her, - 'That her husband, the King, was a d--d good fellow'!" - -_Par parenthèse_, here is a story of a sailor (_Times_, August 9th)-- - - "Guildhall. Before Alderman Ansley.--An old tar, the very _beau - ideal_ of a 'true British sailor,' who gave his name as _Will - Robinson_, his dark visage surmounted with a quantity of black - hair, twisted and matted like so many ropes' ends, was charged - with being drunk and assaulting the patrol of Aldgate Ward. - - "Bunce, the complainant, stated that between three and four - o'clock the preceding evening, he found the tar stretched keel - uppermost upon the footway in Aldersgate Street, exposed, not - altogether decently, to the gaze of a crowd of idle boys. Bunce - roused him, and advised him to move on; but, instead of obeying, - Will ordered him to sheer off, or he'd pour a broadside into him; - and, suiting the action to the word, commenced pummelling - complainant most furiously. Bunce would have had no chance - against the heavy metal of Will Robinson, but Hawkins, the - marshal-man, came up, and with his aid the tar was secured in the - Compter. While they were on the way, the tar contrived to get his - pocket-knife open in his hand, but Hawkins perceived it and took - it from him. - - "'You hear what the officer says?' observed the alderman, - addressing the prisoner. - - "'Yes; but it is a d--d lie,' roared out Will Robinson, enforcing - his assertion by a loud thump of his clenched fist upon the bar. - - "'He says you drew a knife upon him,' said the alderman. - - "'Your honour knows I can't spin a long yarn like this here - chap,' replied the old tar, 'but I never hurted man, woman, or - child in my life, barring 'twas a frog-eater; but I was a lad - then, and it was in the cause of old England; and d--e, I don't - think I'd hurt him neither, after a glass of grog or two.' - - "Alderman. 'How long have you been in England?' - - "'Only two hours ashore, your honour,' replied Will. 'I'd just - come from China, and got taking a glass with one messmate and a - glass with another.' - - "Alderman. 'The sure way to get drunk. You should have taken a - glass with but one messmate.' - - "'Your honour is an excellent preacher, and it's all very true; - but if an old sailor, after a long voyage, when all hands are - piped ashore, refused to drink with every mate who asked him, - he'd be called a scaly fellow, and you know I should not like - that.' - - "Bunce. 'I did not mind the assault, but I thought it was better - to put him in a place of safety for his own sake.' - - "'D--e, you're an honest fellow, after all,' exclaimed the tar, - seizing the officer's hand and squeezing it till the tears - started into Bunce's eyes. 'Come, and we'll make it right over a - glass of grog, old boy.' - - "Alderman. 'I doubt whether you have any money left.' - - "Will felt in his pockets, and could not find a copper. 'All - gone! all gone!' exclaimed the tar, mournfully. - - "'It's all right--I've got his money safe,' said Bunce, drawing - forth an ample handful of silver and gold. - - "'Huzza! huzza! Old England for ever!' vociferated the delighted - tar, when he saw the money; and, seizing Bunce by the collar, - 'Come along, come along, old boy; I'm as dry as a dolphin.' - - "Bunce refused till he counted the money, shilling by shilling, - in the presence of the alderman; but, when he began to do so, - Will found the operation too slow for the current of his - feelings; and, catching up the officer by the waist, he carried - him off in triumph, exclaiming, 'Keep it, my boy, keep it; we'll - drink every penny of it; and maybe his honour there' (turning to - the alderman), 'would take a drop of summut.' - - "The alderman could not contain his gravity, but he declined the - offer; and Will set off with the officer still firmly held in his - grip." - -As a specimen of the manners of the age (and I cannot see that they -have greatly improved now), we may take the following extract from a -private letter, dated Windsor, August 15th:-- - - "You would perceive, from the newspapers, that the Grand Terrace - was thrown open to the public yesterday week. From the walk - immediately under the castle you may see portions of the - magnificent rooms--the splendid ceilings, window drapery, and - chandeliers. I was delighted with the sight, and again visited - the terrace on Sunday. The terrace was then crowded, and I am - sorry to add, English-like, some of the people, (of the lower - class, certainly) had behaved so ill, that the public were - excluded from that part adjoining the building. Some of the - creatures who abused the privilege thus extended to the public, - not only ascended the steps leading to the state apartments, but - actually climbed up into the windows to look into the rooms, thus - intruding their rudeness on the King. It is said that his Majesty - himself, from a window, saw a person writing his name on one of - the statues, and observed on the occasion, 'I shall be compelled - to do as my brother did, exclude the public from this part, if - such conduct is continued.' The grass was all trampled and - injured, the people would not confine themselves to the gravel - walks." - -By the way, about this time, the King gave the Zoological Society the -whole of the collection of beasts and birds belonging to the late -King, amounting to 150. - -England has frequently afforded shelter to unfortunate -princes--notably, in late times, to Louis XVIII., who resided at -Hartwell, in Buckinghamshire--and now another French King, Charles X., -sought her protection, arriving at Portsmouth on August 17th, and -proceeding to Lulworth in Dorsetshire, where he was welcomed at the -castle, which was placed at his disposal by Joseph Weld, Esq., a -relative of the cardinal of that name. Here he remained some time, -afterwards residing at Holyrood Palace, and finally retired to -Austria, where he died. - -On June 19, 1829, the King said "Le Roi le veult" to an Act of -Parliament (10 Geo. IV. c. 44) entitled "An Act for improving the -Police in and near the Metropolis"--the present Police Act--introduced -by Sir Robert Peel, from which fact the policemen were called -"Bobbies" and "Peelers." They commenced duty on September 29, 1829, -and were, at first, extremely unpopular, because of their strictness, -compared to the Bow Street runners, patrols, and night watchmen. The -parishes complained bitterly of the increased expense, but they forgot -how much better they were guarded. It was also alleged that there were -too few policemen distributed over certain districts, and too many in -others; but that was a defect in administration almost certain to -occur at first start, which experience afterwards rectified. Perhaps, -also, the best men were not chosen, as the force was not so popular as -now, when none but men of unblemished character are admitted, whilst -as to the present physique of the over fifteen thousand Metropolitan -Police, any general would be proud of such a division, which is -utterly unattainable in any army. - -Here is a sketch of the uniform of the "New Police" as they were -called, copied from a satirical print of Sir Robert Peel, by the -celebrated H. B. (John Doyle, father of Richard Doyle, to whom _Punch_ -owed so much). The hats were worn until a comparatively recent period, -and in summer-time they wore white trousers. - -[Illustration: New Police.] - -The following extract from the _Times_ of September 16th gives an -account of the police as they were at the expiration of twelve months -from their inauguration:-- - - "There are 16 divisions of the police, and each division - contains, on an average, 200 men, except the K division, which - contains 32; there are also, in each division, six inspectors and - one superintendent. The whole number of privates and sergeants - alone amounts to 3600, without reckoning the inspectors and - superintendents. The greater part of this large body of men were - necessarily taken from the lower classes of the people, and it - can readily be believed that the Commissioners were unable to - make strict inquiry into every individual case, and yet there - have been very few _bona fide_ cases of improper behaviour on the - part of the men. In each division there is a defaulter-book, in - which the names of the men considered unfit for duty are written - down and shown to the Commissioners, and they are immediately - discharged." - -The subjoined advertisement, which is singular, from the modesty of -its diction, appeared in the _Times_ of September 15th, and, as in the -scheme of this book there is no special place set apart for such, it -may as well come in here in order of chronology. - - "A youth who has completed his 18th year within 100 hours of his - writing this advertisement, wishing to make head against the _res - angusta domi_, hereby TENDERS his CAPACITIES to any honourable - patronage which the chapter of accidents may raise up in his - behoof. Born to better hopes, his bringing up has not been wholly - neglected, and he would fain apply some of the little items of - his unpretending culture towards honest advancement in a life - which even his short experience has proved to be not altogether - unchequered--the mind's eye irresistably glancing at an example - which recent events have revived and made too memorable to be - overlooked by such a votary to fortune as the advertiser; to wit, - the august example of King Philip the first,[6] who when, in - "the turns of chance below," even his star was dimmed, did not - disdain to extract independent maintenance from knowledge which, - in his early days, he had learnt as mere ornament. Far from - aiming, like the variously accomplished Duke of Orleans, at - geometry, or the sublimer sciences, the humble advertiser - ventures to hope that his tolerable, hourly improving fluency in - French, Italian, and modern Greek (the latter language now become - of increased English interest from the increase of English - colonization in the Mediterranean), would enable him to give - lessons, and materially conduce to perfect pupils in each of - these branches, at most moderate remuneration. That same - Mediterranean has been the sad cause of this advertisement. - Nearly 1900 years after the prince of Latian poets wrote his - description of the storm which, all but, engulfed Æneas and his - followers--that description which, from Homer to Shakespeare, - from Shakespeare to the present hour, the universe of poetry has - never equalled--even in that very part of that very sea, a sudden - springing up of that wind, which, though the desire and delight - of northern regions, is proverbial for storms (_creber procellis - Africus_) not confined to illustrating the poet's text, in - abruptly shrouding a shipful of 'noble creatures' from the sight - of the clouds, from the face of heaven and the light of day, not - confined to a presentiment of instant death to all on shipboard, - but in rending reality, depriving every soul of clouds, of light - and life, by sinking the whole in fell ocean, without a single - survivor--the advertiser's dear father (an English functionary in - the Ionian Islands) being one of the sufferers--leaving his son a - burden, where he would be an alleviator, to the most affectionate - of mothers. A statement of other capabilities, penmanship, - arithmetic, etc., is forborne, because they may be implied. - Indeed, friends, too partial, no doubt, imagine that to any - mission, especially southward, the advertiser might be a not - ineligible appendage. At all events, he thus adventures his - speculation, trusting its result to 'the caterer for the - sparrow.'" - -[Footnote 6: Louis Philippe.] - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -1830. - - Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway--Death of Mr. - Huskisson--Agricultural lawlessness--Captain Swing--Executions - for riot--Riots throughout the country--Special - Commissions--Prayer to be used in churches and chapels. - - -About this time a melancholy but all-absorbing topic of conversation -was the death of Mr. Wm. Huskisson, one of the M.P.'s for Liverpool; -and the most succinct account I can find of this sad accident is in -the _Annual Register_. It happened on September 15th, at the opening -of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway. - - "On Wednesday morning, as early as seven o'clock, the people of - Liverpool were seen flocking in crowds to the tunnel in order to - secure good places for a view of the procession. The whole line - of road, for the distance of seven or eight miles out of - Liverpool, was lined by dense crowds; and several stands, to - which the public had been admitted at half a crown a head, were - completely filled. Eight of the Company's locomotive engines were - brought down to the mouth of the tunnel at about half-past nine. - The Duke of Wellington arrived about ten o'clock, and was greeted - with enthusiasm by the immense crowd. The splendid state - carriage, which had been prepared for his Grace, was taken down - the tunnel; the military band played 'See the Conquering Hero - comes;' and, in a few minutes, the Duke was drawn from the - tunnel, amid the loud cheers of the spectators. - - "The procession left Liverpool twenty minutes before eleven - o'clock, drawn by eight locomotive engines, in the following - order: Northumbrian, with the directors and numerous - distinguished visitors, including the Duke of Wellington; - Phoenix, green flag; North Star, yellow; Rocket,[7] light blue; - Dart, purple; Comet, deep red; Arrow, pink; Meteor, brown; with - visitors and proprietors. On issuing from the smaller tunnel at - Liverpool, the Northumbrian took the south, or right-hand line of - railway, and drew three carriages, the first containing the band, - the second the Duke of Wellington and a number of other persons, - of distinction, and the third the directors of the railway. The - other engines proceeded along the north line.... The total number - of persons conveyed was stated to be 772. The procession did not - proceed at a pace of more than fifteen or sixteen miles an hour. - - [Footnote 7: This engine may now be seen in the Patent Museum, - South Kensington.] - - "In the course of the journey, the Northumbrian accelerated or - retarded its speed occasionally, to give the Duke of Wellington - an opportunity of inspecting the most remarkable parts of the - work. - - "Before starting from Liverpool, the company were particularly - requested not to leave the carriages, and the same caution was - repeated in the printed directions describing the order of the - procession. Notwithstanding this regulation, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. - William Holmes, M.P., and other gentlemen, alighted when the - Northumbrian stopped at Parkside. On the stoppage of the - Northumbrian at Parkside Bridge, Mr. Huskisson, as well as many - others, got out, and Mr. Holmes, for the purpose of bringing Mr. - Huskisson and the Duke together, and of producing a renewed good - feeling between them, led Mr. Huskisson round to that part of the - car where the Duke was stationed, who, perceiving the advance of - the right hon. gentleman, immediately held out his hand to him, - which was shaken in a very cordial manner. It was almost at this - moment that the Rocket was perceived to be on the advance, and a - general move took place to get out of its way, several persons - calling out, 'Get in! get in!' - - "Some followed this advice, scrambling up as best they might in - the absence of the steps. Others made their way round to the end - of the car, and Mr. Huskisson appeared to be acting under the - idea of crossing the Rocket's railway before the engine came up; - from this, however, he was deterred by the steepness of the bank - beyond. - - "Mr. Holmes, who was standing in the same situation as the right - hon. gentleman, took his resolution on the instant, and drew - himself up as closely as he could against the side of the ducal - car. The intervening space between the railways is exactly four - feet, but as the ducal car overhung it about two feet, and the - Rocket engine about six inches, there was only a clear space of - eighteen inches left--sufficient, however, to enable a person to - stand without injury or damage. - - "Mr. Holmes, whilst thus affixing himself in this manner to the - ducal car, had time to perceive the irresolution of the right - hon. gentleman, and he called out to him, 'For God's sake, be - firm, Mr. Huskisson.' Mr. Huskisson grasped hold of the door of - the ducal carriage the moment before the Rocket passed; this - door, when open, projected so far over the neighbouring railway, - that it was struck by the Rocket; the consequence was, that it - swung rapidly round, overbalanced Mr. Huskisson, and caused him - to fall on the railway of the Rocket, when his right leg - instantly came in contact with the wheel of the engine, and was - crushed. - - "The Earl of Wilton, Mr. Holmes, and Mr. Parkes, solicitor of - Birmingham, raised Mr. Huskisson from the ground. The only words - he uttered at the time were to this effect, 'I have met my death. - God forgive me.' The first thing that was done was to twist a - handkerchief (in the manner of a tourniquet) tightly round the - wounded parts of the limb, for the purpose of stopping the - effusion of blood; and, the Northumbrian being detached from the - carriages, it was sent forward, with the greatest possible speed, - to Eccles, with Mr. Huskisson, the Earl of Wilton, Mr. - Stephenson, and two medical gentlemen. A consultation was next - held by the party at Newton, as to the course best to be adopted - under these melancholy circumstances. - - "The Duke of Wellington was very desirous that the procession - should be stopped and return to Liverpool. After some - consultation, however, this proposal was relinquished, and it was - finally agreed to proceed with the ceremony of opening the - railway, to prevent, in some degree, the alarm and disappointment - which must otherwise have been occasioned to the vast multitudes - who thronged this end of the railway. The carriages of the Duke - and the directors were consequently attached to those which - accompanied the Phoenix engine, and in this manner the whole - proceeded at a slow pace to Eccles, where a stoppage took place, - while the Duke and his friends made inquiry respecting the - condition of Mr. Huskisson. The Northumbrian, which had, by this - time, arrived from Manchester with Mr. Ransome and other - surgeons, was then re-attached to the Duke's carriage, etc., and - the whole proceeded in the order originally agreed upon, to - Manchester. The Northumbrian, with the Duke and directors, - arrived in front of the warehouses about a quarter before three, - but the other engines and carriages, did not arrive till some - time afterwards. - - "Mr. Huskisson and the party who accompanied him, arrived at the - Vicarage of Eccles about half-past one o'clock. A couch was - carried to the railway, upon which he was placed, and in a - reclining position, he was removed into the drawing-room of the - Vicarage. A bed was immediately prepared for his accommodation; - but the pain which he endured was so severe, that he could not be - carried to it, and he remained upon the couch until the moment of - his death. - - "On arriving at the Vicarage, the surgeon found Mr. Huskisson in - a state of extreme suffering, but remarkably composed, and - exhibiting extraordinary firmness of mind. The bones of the leg - were broken into small pieces, and a considerable wound was - visible on the skin and muscles. The thigh bone, above the middle - part, was also broken into several fragments, and the muscles - were laid bare high up the thigh, exposing the principal nerves - and blood-vessels. The professional gentlemen decided that it was - impossible to adventure upon the amputation of the limb. The - sufferings of the patient, during the few hours he survived, were - most acute. Every now and then groans of the deepest agony were - extorted from him by the intensity of the pain which he was - enduring; there were, however, no screams, no murmurings against - the dispensations of Providence; but every symptom of the most - manly courage, the most unshrinking fortitude, and the most - Christian resignation. - - "In the course of the evening, when Mr. Blackburne, the Vicar, in - reading the Lord's Prayer to him, came to the clause, 'forgive us - our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us,' Mr. - Huskisson said, in a firm and distinct tone of voice, 'That I do, - most heartily; and I declare to God that I have not the slightest - feeling of ill-will to any human being.' The Sacrament was, - subsequently, administered to him and Mrs. Huskisson. He did not - make any allusion, or send any remembrance, to his political - friends. He showed a natural anxiety for the preservation of his - character as a Statesman. 'The country,' said he, 'has had the - best of me. I trust that it will do justice to my public - character. I regret not the few years which might have remained - to me, except for those dear ones,' added he, grasping Mrs. - Huskisson's hand, and looking with affectionate regret upon her - dejected countenance, 'whom I leave behind me.' He dictated a - codicil to his will, which was drawn up by Mr. Wainwright, his - secretary, and witnessed by the Earl of Wilton, and Lords - Granville and Colvill. On the day following his death, an inquest - was held on his body, the verdict of which was, 'Accidental - death.'" - -He was buried at Liverpool on September 24th, receiving a magnificent -funeral, in the presence of about twenty thousand people. - -Now began a reign of agricultural lawlessness, and first at Otmoor in -Oxfordshire, which arose from the draining and enclosing of some two -thousand acres, over which seven neighbouring townships had right of -common. The land was of little value, being very marshy, and a proper -Act of Parliament had been obtained for its reclamation, which was -partially effected, when the commoners rose, and set about destroying -fences, embankments, etc. Two regiments of yeomanry were sent to put -down the uprising, and, after the Riot Act was read, some sixty -prisoners were made. These were put into waggons and carts, and taken -to Oxford, there to be lodged in gaol. But St. Giles's fair happened -to be on at Oxford, and the country folk there assembled fell upon the -yeomanry and rescued the captives; only temporarily, however, for a -detachment of soldiers was afterwards sent down by Government, and -many of the rioters were apprehended. - -This was only the outcome of an ignorant population, who fancied they -were being deprived of their ancient rights, whereas it was really -done for their benefit, and would hardly merit notice did it not show -the uneasiness of the agricultural mind at this period. Captain Swing -was abroad, and the red glow of rick-burning was spreading through the -land, notably, at that time, in Kent. The very next paragraph in the -_Times_ of September 8th, to the account of the Otmoor riots, is about -alarming incendiary fires at Orpington and its neighbourhood, in which -barns and outhouses, stacks of corn and hay, were destroyed. Nay, the -miscreants did not stop there. They attempted to terrorize by means of -anonymous letters, in which not only the burning of more property was -threatened, but the destruction of house, owner, and family. - -Sometimes, but not often, the wretches were caught, and then little -mercy was shown them, as in a case in Somersetshire, where the High -Sheriff hanged three men convicted of this offence, on gallows erected -on the spot where the crime had been committed, the gallows bearing an -inscription in large letters, so that all might read: "For Firing -Stacks." Over fifteen thousand people witnessed this execution. - -Several men were arrested as being Captain Swing, whose signature was -always attached to the threatening notices; but there is every reason -to believe that no such entity existed. Here is his fancy portrait, -drawn by Heath, entitled "Swing! taken from the life. Dedicated to -Messrs. Cobbett, Carlisle and Co." - -[Illustration: Swing.] - -To show somewhat of the terrorism of this name at that time, I quote -from the _Kentish Gazette_ of October 9th-- - - "Anonymous letters, signed 'Swing,' have been received by post, - by two individuals at Dover, threatening the destruction of their - premises by fire, which has caused great alarm in their families. - The dead walls, all through the town, and for some miles on the - road to Canterbury, all bear the same significant word 'Swing,' - written in chalk." - -The newspapers of the day teem with notices of outrages, particularly -during the last three months of the year. A very good and terse -account of these agricultural riots is in the _Annual Register_, pp. -149, 150. - - "The disturbances began in Kent. The rioters did not assume the - character of disorderly mobs, nor did they profess to seek any - political objects. They appeared, at first, as lurking - incendiaries, and wreaked their vengeance on property, the - destruction of which could only aggravate the causes of their - misery. Night after night, new conflagrations were lighted up by - bands of incendiaries; corn stacks, barns, farm buildings, live - stock, were consumed indiscriminately. Bolder bands attacked - mills, and demolished the machinery; and all threshing-machines, - in particular, were condemned. Threatening letters were - circulated, demanding the raising of wages, or the disuse of the - machinery; and the nightly exploits of the writers insured - attention to their demands. The first of the rioters who were - seized, and tried before the County Magistrates, were treated - with undue lenity. Commiseration for starving labourers was - commendable; but it could not be want which induced men to - destroy the materials of food. During October, November, and - December, but more particularly the two former months, it made - its way from Kent into the counties of Hants, Wilts, Bucks, - Sussex, and Surrey. Throughout the whole of that district of the - country, all protection for property seemed to be at an end. - Bands of rioters pillaged and destroyed during the day; and, as - soon as night fell, simultaneous conflagrations, starting up in - different quarters, spread over the country havoc and dismay. The - military force in the disturbed counties was increased, a - proclamation was issued offering a reward of £500 for the - conviction of any person engaged in the fire raisings; and a - Special Commission was ordered to proceed into the Shires where - the outrages were committed." - -These Special Commissions were held in December, and many were the -sentences of death recorded against the worst of the rioters, although -but few were carried out. The first victims to the outraged majesty of -the law were three men, found guilty at the Maidstone Assizes, who -were hanged for arson on Penenden Heath. Nor was it only by the strong -arm of the law that order was attempted to be restored, the help of -the Almighty was also invoked in furtherance of that end. A supplement -to the _Gazette_ of the 24th of December, contained an Order in -Council, that the Archbishop of Canterbury do prepare forms of prayer -to Almighty God, on account of the troubled state of certain parts of -the United Kingdom; and another for reading the same in all the -Episcopal Churches and Chapels in England and Scotland. In consequence -of this Order, a form of prayer was issued, which the curious in those -things may read in the _Times_ of December 28th, to be used -immediately before the Litany, and when the Litany was not read, -before the prayer for all conditions of men, in all cathedrals, -collegiate and parochial churches and chapels in England and Ireland. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -1830. - - Duke of Wellington mobbed and stoned--Owing to riots, the King - postponed his visit to the city--No Lord Mayor's show, nor - dinner--Riots in the city--Apsley House besieged--Ireland - proclaimed--Ferment in the country--Change of Ministry--Royal - succession--Scotch regalia--Curious story of a bank-note. - - -Rioting was not confined to the country. The cry of parliamentary -reform was exciting the great towns, and especially London. On -November 2nd, when the King went to open Parliament, the Duke of -Wellington was mobbed in the Park, and struck on the cheek with a -stone. The King and Queen were going to dine at Guildhall on Lord -Mayor's day, November 9th, and all was prepared for the banquet, but, -on the 7th, the Duke of Wellington received the following letter:-- - - "MY LORD DUKE, - - "From the situation of Lord Mayor, to which I have been elected, - numberless communications have been made to me, both personally - and by letter, in reference to the 9th, and it is on that account - that I take the liberty of addressing your Grace. - - "Although the feelings of the respectable citizens of London are - decidedly loyal, yet it cannot but be known that there are, both - in London, as well as the country, a set of desperate and - abandoned characters who are anxious to avail themselves of any - circumstance to create tumult and confusion. While all of any - respectability in the city are vieing with each other to testify - their loyalty on the occasion; from what I learn, it is the - intention of some of the desperate characters above mentioned, to - take the opportunity of making an attack on your Grace's person, - on your approach to the Hall. Every exertion on my part shall be - used to make the best possible arrangements in the City; and, at - the same time, I feel that, should any violent attack be made in - one quarter, any civil force alone might not be sufficiently - effectual; and I should not be doing my duty, after what I have - heard, did I not take the liberty of suggesting to your Grace the - propriety of coming strongly and sufficiently guarded. - - "I probably may be considered as giving you needless trouble, but - the respect which I, as well as every person who really wishes - the welfare of the country, must have for your Grace, and the - gratitude we owe you, has induced me to adopt this course. - - "I have, etc. - "(Signed) JOHN KEY, - "Lord Mayor Elect." - -Other communications to a similar effect were made to the Ministers; -and in the evening of the 7th the following letter was received by the -Lord Mayor, from Sir Robert Peel:-- - - "MY LORD, - - "I am commanded by the King to inform your Lordship, that his - Majesty's confidential servants have felt it to be their duty to - advise the King to postpone the visit which their Majesties - intended to pay the City of London on Tuesday next. From - information which has been recently received, there is reason to - apprehend that, notwithstanding the devoted loyalty and affection - borne to his Majesty by the citizens of London, advantage would - be taken of an occasion which must necessarily assemble a vast - number of persons by night, to create tumult and confusion, and - thereby to endanger the properties and the lives of his subjects. - It would be a source of deep and lasting concern to their - Majesties were any calamity to occur on the occasion of their - visit to the City of London, and their Majesties have therefore - resolved, though not without the greatest reluctance and regret, - to forego, for the present, the satisfaction which that visit - would have afforded to their Majesties. - - "I have the honour to be, my Lord, - "Your obedient servant, - "ROBERT PEEL." - -A deputation from the committee appointed to superintend the -entertainment waited upon his Majesty's ministers three times on -Tuesday; and the Duke of Wellington plainly told them that there was -but one of two courses to be adopted--the postponement of the visit, -or the alternative of bringing a large body of military into the City. - -The effect of Sir Robert Peel's letter upon the minds of the citizens -was beyond description. Men hastened to purchase arms, and to secure -the fastenings of their houses, as if there was going to be an armed -rebellion. On the 8th, consols fell three per cent. in about an hour -and a half, whilst the streets were choked with busy crowds, listening -to and spreading all sorts of alarming rumours. The prevailing one was -that it was intended to allow the procession to return to the -Guildhall unmolested, but that, in the evening, the passage of Temple -Bar and the bridges should have been barricaded, the gas-pipes cut -off, and, under the cloud of darkness, an indiscriminate plunder of -the City take place. - -The new Lord Mayor proclaimed that neither the usual procession, nor -the banquet would take place, and, accordingly, there were neither -this year. And well it was that it was so, for there would assuredly -have been a riot; as it was, it was bad enough, as we see from the -following account taken from the _Annual Register_:-- - - "Both on Monday and on Tuesday (8th and 9th November) the streets - of the Metropolis were unusually crowded, and a considerable - degree of excitement prevailed. On Monday night a meeting was - held at the Rotunda, in Blackfriars Road, at which Mr. Hunt - presided as Chairman. It did not terminate till half-past eleven - o'clock, when Hunt retired. The instant he left the meeting, an - individual exposed a tri-coloured flag, with 'Reform' painted - upon it; and a cry of 'Now for the West End,' was instantly - raised. This seemed to act as a signal, evidently preconcerted, - as the individuals composing the meeting, one and all, assented, - and sallied forth in a body, the individual unfurling the - tri-coloured flag. - - "They then proceeded over the bridge, in numbers amounting to - about a thousand, shouting as they passed along, 'Reform!' 'Down - with the Police!' 'No Peel!' 'No Wellington!' In their route they - were joined by others, and in this manner they proceeded through - Fleet Street and the Strand. The Adelphi theatre was closing, and - the audience about to leave, when, the shouts of the mob being - heard, the doors were instantly closed, and the audience were - kept in the house till they had passed. As they proceeded, they - were joined by a considerable number of notoriously bad - characters, who were very loud in their exclamations against the - police. - - "The mob first proceeded into Downing Street, where they formed - themselves into a line immediately in the front of the residence - of Earl Bathurst. A gentleman in the house, hearing the tumult, - presented himself at the balcony, armed with a brace of pistols, - and, addressing the mob, warned them against committing any - illegal act, declaring that he would fire upon the first man that - attempted to enter the house. Yells and groans followed this - declaration, and a cry of 'Go it, go it!' was raised by the mob. - At this moment, another gentleman came out on the balcony, and - took the pistols out of his hands, upon which the mob gave loud - cheers. - - "A strong body of the new police arrived from Scotland Yard, and - formed themselves into a line at the end of King Street to - prevent the mob from going to the House of Commons, where they - intended to proceed. A general fight now ensued, in which the new - police were assisted by several respectable-looking men, who used - every endeavour to put the mob to the rout. In the skirmish many - received broken heads, and the flag was captured. Inspector - Lincoln of the E division arrived with a body of seventy men, and - an equal number of the B division also came up, when the mob, - seeing the reinforcement, took to flight in all directions, and - the most perfect quietude succeeded. Three of the most desperate - of the rioters were arrested, and carried to the watch house in - the Almonry, Westminster. A reinforcement of the Royal Horse - Guards, blue, were mounted in the yard of the Horse Guards, and - remained there during the night, and extra policemen, in bodies, - paraded the streets. - - "At an early hour in the morning of Tuesday, the new police were - called out in considerable numbers, and, by five o'clock in the - evening, a double row flanked the edges of either pavements, on - the Westminster side of Temple Bar, for a considerable distance. - This precaution was not taken without occasion, for, before this - period, a dense mob had collected within Temple Bar, in order to - see the preparations there made for an illumination. It was, at - last, found necessary, at a late hour in the afternoon, to employ - workmen in removing the temporary gas-pipes by which the lighting - up was intended to have been effected, lest any of the mob should - clamber the Bar, and communicate light to the various gas - orifices. - - "As soon as the workmen arrived for this purpose, a body of - vagabonds ran through the avenues into Westminster, and - endeavoured to excite alarm by cries of 'Fire! Fire!' A large - body of the police were drawn up, about six o'clock, in the open - space leading to Waterloo Bridge, and similar precautions were - taken in other parts of Westminster. - - "About half-past five, the refuse of the mob, which at an early - hour had assembled in the City, proceeded along the Strand, in a - body of between three and four hundred, consisting principally - of boys of the lowest description, vociferating 'No Peel--down - with the raw lobsters!' and other expressions of a similar - tendency. On arriving at Catherine Street, they rushed up it, - headed by a youth about sixteen, who cheered on the throng with - 'This way, my lads--we'll give it them.' A temporary halt was - made at the corner of York Street; the mob then proceeded down - York Street, through Maiden Lane, Chandos Street, Hemming's Row, - to the rear of the Menagerie, at Charing Cross; the whole of them - yelling, shouting, groaning, and breaking windows in their - progress. A strong body of the E division now rushed upon them, - and dealt out severe blows with their staves on the heads and - arms of the mob. The captain of the gang was the first to - retreat; and the rioters were completely dispersed. At seven - o'clock the end of Fleet Street, by Temple Bar, was nearly - impassable, and the mob, who extended beyond the pathways, so as - to leave barely room for a coach to pass, demanded from each - passenger or coachman, as a passport, that he should pull off his - hat and shout 'Huzzah!' - - "The City side of Temple Bar was in a very tumultuous state. - Stones were repeatedly thrown thence upon the police stationed on - the Westminster side. Attempts were also made to close the gates, - and several rushes upon the police were made from within. Mr. - Brown, the Marshal, insisted upon having the control of the gate, - as belonging to the City, and caused it to be instantly opened, - which produced loud cheering among the mob, and the cry of 'The - City police for ever!' They soon, however, lost their popularity, - by opposing the passage of the mob through the gate; and Mr. - Brown received a severe wound upon the head, in attempting to - disarm the rioters. The other City officers were also roughly - handled. The mob forced their way, but returned soon afterwards, - and went quietly through the City. The police were afterwards - withdrawn to a passage leading out of Picket Place into Newcastle - Court; and conflicts took place between them and the mob, in - which many on both sides received serious injuries. The mob, who - appeared afraid to venture outside the gates of Temple Bar, - amused themselves with throwing stones and large pieces of wood - among the police in Picket Place; they obtained these missiles - from the New Law Institution in Chancery Lane, the scaffold of - which was broken down and carried off, amidst loud cheers. - - "In the course of the evening, another mob, of between four and - five hundred persons, proceeded along Piccadilly, and, in a smart - trot, made their way to Apsley House, the residence of the Duke - of Wellington; hallooing, and bestowing the usual expression of - disapprobation on the Duke, Mr. Peel, and the police. On their - reaching the end of Piccadilly, they were met with a strong force - of the D division of police, who succeeded in dispersing them in - different directions, without any serious accident to either - party. At eleven o'clock, Piccadilly and the whole of the West - End, from the bottom of the Haymarket upwards, was in an - undisturbed state; but the police, in number between four and - five hundred, were drawn up in Spring Gardens, ready to act, - should necessity require them to do so. Frequent communications - took place from the different station-houses to the head-quarters - at Scotland Yard, and the men employed as messengers upon this - occasion were attired in plain clothes, the better to facilitate - their progress, and prevent them from being attacked. - - "Several parties of ill-disposed persons, many of whom were boys, - paraded the streets in Bethnal Green, Spitalfields, and - Whitechapel, for the purpose of creating a riot, but were - disappointed. One party, more formidable than the rest, passed by - Worship Street Office into Church Street, Spitalfields, where - they demolished the gas lamp and some windows at the police - station there, and, afterwards, those of a Mr. Chapple, a - fruiterer; thence they took a circuit round Bethnal Green, and - returned into the City without committing further mischief. The - magistrates were the whole evening in attendance at the different - offices. As early as six o'clock, the shops in St. Paul's - Churchyard, Ludgate Hill, and Fleet Street, were completely - closed, in consequence of the number of men assembled. The City - police in motion in the course of the day amounted to from five - hundred to six hundred men, including the firemen, ticket - porters, and tackle porters." - -The whole country was in a state of ferment. In Ireland, the feeling -for repeal of the Union was so strong, that the Duke of -Northumberland, as Lord Lieutenant, issued a proclamation putting in -force the Act (10 George IV. c. 1) entitled, "An Act for the -Suppression of dangerous Associations or Assemblies in Ireland." And -the _Leeds Intelligencer_ (quoted in the _Times_ of October 23rd) -says-- - - "We observe that fears are expressed in some of the Metropolitan - papers, that disturbances are on the point of breaking out in the - North. It was reported in the City, on Monday afternoon, the - _Standard_ tells us, 'that a reinforcement of troops had been - demanded for Cumberland, in consequence of symptoms of - dissatisfaction having appeared among the colliers. Two - regiments, they state, are to start from Portsmouth. Artillery, - also, it is said, has been ordered from Woolwich, on Friday, for - the North. The state of the collieries and manufacturing - districts in that part of England is alarming.' Our information - does not at all bear out this alarming statement. Except some - Radical demonstrations at Carlisle, such as threats, political - nocturnal trainings, and a supposed secret preparation of - pikes--young trees having been cut down in various places--we - hear of nothing which should cause a sudden movement of troops. - Certain, however, it is, that an augmentation of force is taking - place in the North. The detachment of artillery stationed in - Leeds for about a year past, marched for Newcastle on Monday - morning." - -Space prevents my giving any more about the riotous state of the -country during this year, exception only being made to the following -excerpt from the "Greville Memoirs":-- - - "December 1.--The last two or three days have produced no - remarkable outrages, and, though the state of the country is - still dreadful, it is rather better on the whole, than it was; - but London is like the capital of a country desolated by cruel - war, or foreign invasion, and we are always looking for reports - of battles, burnings, and other disorders. Wherever there has - been anything like fighting, the mob has always been beaten, and - has shown the greatest cowardice. They do not, however, seem to - have been actuated by a very ferocious spirit; and, considering - the disorders of the times, it is remarkable that they have not - been more violent and rapacious. Lord Craven, who is just of age, - with three or four more young Lords, his friends, defeated and - dispersed them in Hampshire. They broke into the Duke of - Beaufort's house at Heythrop, but he and his sons got them out - without mischief, and, afterwards, took some of them. On Monday, - as the field which had been out with the King's hounds were - returning to town, they were summoned to assist in quelling a - riot at Woburn, which they did; the gentlemen charged and broke - the people, and took some of them; and, fortunately, some troops - came up to secure the prisoners. The alarm, however, still - continues, and a feverish anxiety about the future universally - prevails, for no man can foresee what course events will take, - nor how his own individual circumstances may be affected by - them." - -The Houses of Parliament were dissolved on July 23rd, and re-assembled -on October 26th. On November 15th, the Ministry were defeated over the -Civil List by a majority of twenty-nine, and on the next day the Duke -of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel resigned, and were succeeded by a -Ministry, at the head of which was Earl Grey. On the 15th, the Lord -Chancellor (Lord Lyndhurst) moved the appointment of a Regency in case -of the death of the King before the Princess Victoria arrived at the -age of eighteen. He said that the Bill which he was about to propose, -provided that, in the event of a posthumous child, her Majesty the -Queen should be guardian and regent during the minority; and that her -Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent should be guardian and regent -during the minority of the Princess Victoria; subject to be superseded -in the regency, in the case of the birth of a posthumous child. An -amendment was afterwards introduced, to the effect that the Princess -Victoria should not marry, while a minor, without the consent of the -King; or, in the event of his death, without the consent of both -Houses of Parliament; and that, if the Duchess of Kent, while regent, -married a foreigner, she should lose the regency. This Bill became law -on December 23rd, and is know as 1 Gul. IV. c. 2. - -In December, the King sent to Scotland, for the purpose of being -deposited with the regalia, in the Crown-room of Edinburgh Castle, a -beautiful massive gold collar of the Garter, with rose diamond and -enamelled George, left to the King (George IV.) by Cardinal York, the -last of the royal line of Stuarts; and an ancient rose diamond badge -of St. Andrew, and a sapphire ring, set round with brilliants, being -Charles the First's coronation ring. The former of these jewels (which -weighs about three pounds), was presented to James VI. by his queen, -and was worn by that monarch. - -I wind up the year with a very curious story of a bank-note. The -_Carlisle Patriot_ quoted in the _Times_ of December 29, says-- - - "We mentioned in our last that a £5 Bank of England note had been - received by a mercantile house in Liverpool, on the back of which - were written the following words: 'If this note gets into the - hand of John Dean, of Long Hills, near Carlisle, his brother - Andrew is a prisoner in Algiers.' The paragraph was read by a - person in Carlisle, who knew Andrew Dean, and is acquainted with - his brother, John Dean's, family, who are residing at Longtown. - John Dean's son was in Carlisle on Thursday last, and heard of - the paragraph from the person above alluded to; he called at this - office, in company with a friend, and, from what he related of - his uncle, there is every reason to believe that he is the Andrew - Dean, whose imprisonment in a distant country has, by this - singular means, been made known to his friends in England. Andrew - Dean, it appears, was formerly in the British navy, which he left - some time ago, and settled in business in Algiers. Communications - will be made to the Liverpool house, and also to Sir James Graham - (First Lord of the Admiralty), to ask his assistance in the - interesting inquiry." - -I can trace no more about it; but it was pointed out that the -Ironmongers' Company has a fund of enormous amount, purposely reserved -for the liberation of captives in Barbary. - -[Illustration: Bonnets.] - -Here are some bonnets and fashions worn in 1830. Two walking dresses, -one evening, and one ball dress. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -1831. - - Incendiary fires--Captain Swing--The result of Cobbett's - lectures--Special Commission--Prosecution of Carlile--Election - expenses--List of Close boroughs--Collapse of Reform Bill--The - King stoned--_Debût_ of Princess Victoria--The _Times_ and the - House of Lords--Bribery at elections--Action for libel--"The King - _v._ Cobbett"--Prince Leopold made King of the Belgians. - - -"The Red Cock" still crowed, and incendiary fires were still the order -of the day, in spite of the commissions to examine the numerous -prisoners in several counties. Captain Swing was rampant, and his -letters, if not always logical, as in the following instance, were -very numerous. The _Exeter Gazette_, quoted in the _Times_ of January -3rd, says-- - - "The following 'Swing' letter is the most ingenious commentary - which we have met with on the present infatuated attempts to - destroy machinery. Here is a fellow threatening the life of a - respectable person, because he is the means of reducing the - number of water-carriers, and supplies the inhabitants with a - quantity of that prime necessary of life, on terms cheaper than - they could obtain it from the moveable reservoirs which convey - some fifty or sixty gallons at a time round the town, at the rate - of a halfpenny a pailfull. The climax of the joke is the threat - which it holds out, of burning the Waterworks! - - "'GOLSWORTHY.--This is to inform you that you and your waterworks - being the pest of the City of Exeter, not only by taking the - bread out of the mouths of the poor watermen, but by your - overbearance and pride, this is to inform you that if you do not - destroy that vile machine of yours, in 9 days, it shall be burnt - to the ground; and, further, if you neglect this notice, you - shall not only have your property burnt, but a mark shall be made - of your body. - - "'From your deadly enemy, - "'SWING. - - "'Neglect not this, or you will know the weight of lead.'" - -Cobbett's lectures and writings undoubtedly influenced the minds of -the ignorant agricultural labourer, and one man, under sentence of -death for incendiarism at Battle, wrote the following confession:-- - - "I, Thomas Goodman, once herd of one Mr. Cobbit going a Bout - gaveing out lactuers; at length he came to Battel and gave one - their, and there was a gret number of Peopel came to hear him and - i went: he had A verry long conversation concerning the states of - the country, and telling them that they war verrey much impose - upon, and he said he would show them the way to gain their rights - and liberals, and he said it would be very Proper for every man - to keep gun in his house, espesely young men, and that they might - prepare themselves in readyness to go with him when he called on - them, and he would show them wich way to go on, and he said the - peopel might expect fire as well as other places.--this is the - truth and nothing But the truth of A deying man. - - "THOMAS GOODMAN." - -There was a very curious case connected with these agrarian riots, -which occurred at the Special Commission at Salisbury, where Isaac -Locker was indicted for sending a threatening letter to John Rowland, -in these words-- - - "Mr. Rowland, Haxford Farm.--Hif you goes to sware against or a - man in prisson, you have here farm burnt down to ground, and thy - bluddy head chopt off." - -Some evidence was produced to show that the prisoner, in his -conversation, had justified the machine-breakers and fire-raisers, and -that the magistrates and military, who disturbed the proceedings of -the mobs, were the only breakers of the peace; but the case turned on -the question, whether the letter was in the handwriting of the -prisoner. Locker was found _guilty_, and the judge, in spite of the -man's asseverations of his innocence, sentenced him to transportation -for life. - -The judge and jury retired for some refreshment, and in their absence, -the man's son, Edward Locker, came forward and declared that he had -written that and other letters. The judge expressed his surprise that -this evidence had not been brought before him previously, and -proceeded to try the prisoner on two similar indictments, when his son -got into the witness box and testified that the letters were in his -handwriting. The trial ended in the father's acquittal on those two -counts, and the judge said that he would lose no time in getting the -former conviction and sentenced quashed. An indictment was immediately -prepared, and found against the son, to which he pleaded guilty, and -was sentenced to transportation for seven years. - -The Special Commission ended its labours on the 15th of January, -having hanged many rioters, and sentenced very many more to long terms -of transportation. - -Besides Cobbett, there was a noted atheist, named Richard Carlile, who -is still looked upon as a persecuted martyr by Freethinkers. On the -10th of January, he was indicted at the Old Bailey for having written -and published two seditious libels--one tending to bring the Crown -into disrepute, and the other, which was addressed to the insurgent -agricultural labourers, tending to produce an insurrection among the -labouring and agricultural population. He was acquitted on the first, -but found guilty on the second count, and he was sentenced to pay a -fine to the King of £200, be imprisoned in the Compter of the City for -the space of two years, and at the expiration of that time, to find -sureties for ten years to come, himself in £500, and two sureties in -£250 each, and to be imprisoned until such fine was paid, and such -sureties provided. - -The question of the reform of Parliament was now taken in hand -seriously, and it was not before it was needed. The expenses attendant -on elections were something enormous. The _Leeds Mercury_, quoted in -the _Times_ of August 30, 1830, speaking of the county of Yorkshire, -says-- - - "At the great contested Election of 1807 the expenses of the - three candidates amounted to a quarter of a million--and, at the - Election for 1826, when there was no contest, but only a - preparation for one, the four candidates had to pay £150,000." - -An example of how the money went may be found in the election bills -of the Hon. S. Wortley, in contesting Forfarshire, in 1830. One dinner -bill is thus-- - - £ _s._ _d._ - Ginger beer, 6/-; Brandy, 20/- 1 6 0 - Champagne, £20; Claret, £21 41 0 0 - Gin, 20/-; Ale, 16/- 1 16 0 - Brandy Toddy, £2; Gin Toddy, £1 3 0 0 - Dinner, £4 10/-; Madeira, £17 10/- 22 0 0 - ------------- - £69 2 0 - -And here is one of his tavern bills. - - "The Hon. S. Wortley to John Morrison. - - 1830. £ _s._ _d._ - - July 21. The Dinner above mentioned 69 2 0 - " 22. Champagne, £13; Gin, 12/- 13 12 0 - " " Brandy 0 15 0 - " 23. Whisky Toddy, 10/-; Brandy Toddy, 18/- 1 8 0 - " 24. Claret, £9 10/-; Champagne, £10 19 10 0 - " 26. Supper, £1; Brandy, 10/-; Gin 12/- 2 2 0 - " " Gin Toddy, 20/-; Whisky Toddy, 16/- 1 16 0 - " " Champagne, £12 10/-; Claret, £13 25 10 0 - " 27. Brandy Toddy, 18/-; Gin Toddy, 20/- 1 18 0 - " " Sherry, £5 2/-; Port, £4 16/- 9 18 0 - " 28. Champagne, £8 10/-; Whisky Toddy, 10/- 9 0 0 - " 29. Supper, £1 7/6; Perry Cider, 20/- 2 7 6 - " " Brandy Toddy, £1 4/-; Gin Toddy, £1 10/- 2 14 0 - " " Champagne, £13; Ginger beer, 6/- 13 6 0 - " 30. Suppers, 22/6; Gin, 8/-; Brandy, 7/6 1 18 0 - " " Gin Toddy; 30/-; Brandy Toddy, 30/- 3 0 0 - " " Champagne 12 0 0 - Aug. 1. Claret, £8; Sherry, £5 8/-; Port, £7 4/- 20 12 0 - " 2. Suppers, 17/6; Gin, 16/-; Brandy, 30/- 3 3 6 - " " Whisky Toddy, 20/-; Champagne, £7 10/- 8 10 0 - " 3. Claret, £10; Gin, 15/-; Brandy, 18/- 11 13 0 - " 6. Champagne, £8; Gin, 5/- 8 5 0 - " 9. Whisky Toddy, 13/10; Brandy Toddy, 18/- 1 11 10 - " 12. Madeira, £6; Champagne, £9 15 0 0 - " 12. Madeira, £7 10/-; Champagne, £8 15 10 0 - " 21. Champagne, £5; Claret, £7 10/- 12 10 0 - " 23. ditto £2 10/-; do. £5 10/- 8 0 0 - " 25. ditto £6 10/-; Port, £1 4/- 7 14 0 - Sep. 15. ditto 6 0 0 - -------------- - £308 5 10 - -And the representation wanted a thorough reorganization, as may be -seen by the following list of close boroughs which were intended to be -disfranchised, with the number of voters in each:-- - - Aldborough 60 - Aldeburgh 80 - Appleby 110 - Bedwin 70 - Beer Alston 90 - Bishop's Castle 45 - Bletchingly 70 - Borough Bridge 48 - Bossiney 30 - Brackley 32 - Bramber 19 - Buckingham 13 - Callington 45 - Camelford 24 - Castle Rising 43 - Corfe Castle 55 - Dunwich 18 - Eye 95 - Fowey 76 - Gatton 5 - Haslemere 58 - Heden 246 - Heytesbury 45 - Higham Ferrers 145 - Hindon 250 - Ilchester 70 - East Looe 50 - West Looe 55 - Lostwithiel 30 - Ludgershall 70 - Malmesbury 13 - Midhurst 18 - Milborne Port 90 - Minehead 10 - Newport (Cornwall) 62 - Newton (Lancashire) 60 - Newton (Isle of Wight) 40 - Okehampton 230 - Orford 20 - Petersfield 140 - Plympton 210 - Queensborough 270 - Reigate 200 - Romney 150 - St. Mawe's 20 - St. Michaels (Cornwall) 32 - Saltash 36 - Old Sarum 7 - Seaford 98 - Steyning 110 - Stockbridge 110 - Tregony 100 - Wareham 20 - Wendover 140 - Weobly 90 - Whitchurch 70 - Winchelsea 40 - Woodstock 400 - Wootton Bassett 100 - Yarmouth 50 - -For the following list it was proposed to have only one member:-- - - Amersham 125 - Arundel 450 - Ashburton 170 - Bewdley 13 - Bodmin 36 - Bridport 340 - Chippenham 135 - Clitheroe 45 - Cockermouth 180 - Dorchester 200 - Downton 60 - Droitwich 12 - Evesham 600 - Grimsby 300 - Morpeth 200 - Northallerton 200 - Penryn 400 - Richmond 270 - Rye 25 - St. Germains 70 - St. Ives 200 - Sandwich 955 - Sudbury 800 - Shaftesbury 30 - East Grinstead 30 - Guildford 250 - Helston 36 - Honiton 350 - Huntington 240 - Hythe 150 - Launceston 15 - Leominster 700 - Liskeard 100 - Lyme Regis 30 - Lymington 70 - Malton 270 - Marlborough 21 - Marlow 235 - Tamworth 300 - Thetford 21 - Thirsk 60 - Totness 58 - Truro 26 - Wallingford 180 - Westbury 70 - Wilton 20 - Wycombe 65 - -Lord John Russell prepared the first Reform Bill, and introduced it -into Parliament on March 1st. The first division for the second -reading was taken on March 22nd, the numbers for, 302; against, 301. -Majority 1. General Gascoyne, on the motion for a committee, moved the -following amendment: "That the number of representatives for England -and Wales ought not to be diminished," which was carried by 299 to -291. Of course, after this, there was nothing to be done but dissolve -Parliament at the earliest period possible, and this the King did on -April 22nd. - -The King on this occasion was loudly cheered, but it was not always -so--for Greville records under date of February, that-- - - "The King went to the play the night before last; was well - received in the house, but hooted and pelted coming home, and a - stone shivered a window of his coach, and fell into Prince George - of Cumberland's lap. The King was excessively annoyed, and sent - for Baring, who was the officer riding by his coach, and asked - him if he knew who had thrown the stone; he said it terrified the - Queen, and was very disagreeable, as he should always be going - somewhere." - -On the 24th of February the Queen's birthday drawing-room was held, at -which the Princess Victoria made her _debût_ in society. The following -is the official account by the Court newsman:-- - - "Their Royal Highnesses, the Duchess of Kent and the Princess - Victoria, with their suite, came in state, in three carriages, - escorted by a party of the Life Guards. Their Royal Highnesses - were attended by the Duchess of Northumberland, Lady Charlotte - St. Maur, Lady Catherine Jenkinson, the Hon. Mrs. Cust, Lady - Conroy, Baroness Lehzen, Sir John Conroy, and General Wetherall. - The dresses of their Royal Highnesses were made entirely of - articles manufactured in the United Kingdom. The Duchess's robe - was of silk embroidered with silver, and was made in - Spitalfields; the train was of Irish poplin, blue figured with - silver. The Princess Victoria was dressed with great simplicity - in a frock of English blonde.... The Princess Victoria stood to - the left of her Majesty." - -We next find the Princess and her mother at Covent Garden Theatre on -April 14, witnessing the performance of Spohr's Opera _Zamira and -Azor_. - -Before the dissolution of Parliament, the _Times_ newspaper got into a -scrape with the House of Lords on account of some remarks in its -issues of April 15th, which were as follows:-- - - "Yet mean, cruel, and atrocious as every civilized mind must - consider the doctrine, that Ireland has no need of poor laws, or - some equivalent for them,--hateful and abominable as is such a - screen for inhumanity,--there are men, or things with human - pretensions, nay, with lofty privileges, who do not blush to - treat the mere proposal of establishing a fund for the relief of - the diseased or helpless Irish, with brutal ridicule and almost - impious scorn. Would any man credit that an Irish absentee Lord - could say what he is reported to have uttered in the House of - Peers last night, when Lord Roseberry presented a petition, - praying that a compulsory tax on land might be introduced into - Ireland, towards alleviating her poor? We shall not name him, - because the House of Lords is armed with a thing called a 'Bar' - and other disagreeable appendages. But there are members of that - House who surprise nobody by declaring their indifference to - 'popular odium'--especially when they are at such a distance from - Ireland as to ensure the safety of their persons." - -The peer alluded to was the Earl of Limerick, who moved, on the 18th -of April, "That the editor of the _Times_ newspaper be ordered to -attend at the bar of that House to-morrow." The legal citation would -be on the printer, and, accordingly, on the 19th Mr. Lawson attended, -and a debate ensued, at the end of which he was ordered into custody -of the Usher of the Black Rod, to be produced next morning, and was -taken by two messengers of the House to Oliver's Coffee House, where -he was kept in durance. But, before their lordships met, he sent them -a petition-- - - "That your petitioner feels the sincerest regret at having given - offence to your right honourable House, and to the Earl of - Limerick in particular, and craves pardon for the same; and - humbly begs, in consequence of this acknowledgment of his error - and regret, he may be set at liberty by your right honourable - House." - -All that day, and a great part of the next, the House debated upon the -crime of this wicked man, until it came to the conclusion that the -Lord Chancellor should reprimand and discharge him, which was -accordingly done; and the _Times_, in revenge, on the 26th of April, -published the following:-- - - "EPIGRAM. - - To call a Lord a 'thing' is voted treason: - To call him 'no-thing,' then, must be in season." - -The elections for the new Parliament now engaged the popular -attention; and, as elections were conducted in the "good old times" on -very different principles than at present, one or two little items -respecting them may be acceptable. _Times_, May 10th. - - "REDUCED PRICE OF VOTES. - - "A police constable belonging to a division at the east end of - the Metropolis, who has a vote for a borough not more than thirty - miles from London, applied to his inspector for permission to go - into the country to poll for one of the anti-reform candidates, - on Saturday morning. 'What do you expect to make by going down?' - inquired the inspector, from motives of curiosity. 'Only £10 and - the payment of my expenses,' was the reply of the 'independent - freeman.' 'Is that all?' exclaimed the inspector. 'I thought you - would make double that sum by your vote.' 'Oh no,' replied the - policeman, 'they don't come down now as they used to do. I have - had as much as £40 for my vote, and never less than £25; but now - I am glad to get £10.' 'Well, you may go,' said the inspector; - 'it will be the last time you will be wanted to vote, I have no - doubt.' 'I hope not, sir,' ejaculated the policeman, with a - long-drawn sigh; 'and if that Reform Bill passes, it will be a - sad loss to me and my brother freemen.'" - -Again (_ib._, May 11th), quoting the _Scotsman_:-- - - "Strange stories are abroad as to the sale of services at the - election for the City of Edinburgh. Two persons are named as - having received round sums; and the daughter of one of them, when - asked by some civic functionaries of a humble class whether her - father had not received £500, is said to have answered, 'No; he - only received £300.'" - -In connection with electioneering, there was a curious action for -libel tried on June 18th, at the Court of King's Bench, before Lord -Tenterden and a jury. It arose out of certain proceedings at Great -Grimsby, during the General Election in 1830. The plaintiff was -lieutenant of the _Greyhound_ Revenue cutter; the defendant, an -attorney at Great Grimsby. The libel was the following letter, dated -from Great Grimsby, and published in some of the London papers. The -blues were the Whig party; the reds, their opponents:-- - - "At the late election, some extraordinary interferences took - place on the part of the persons employed in his Majesty's - Revenue Service here. The Collector of the Customs was observed - to join in the parade of the red party, and in its greetings and - huzzas. His Majesty's Revenue cutters, _Greyhound_ and _Lapwing_, - landed from seventy to eighty of their crews, who kicked up - occasional rows, to intimidate the peaceful inhabitants and the - blue party; and in one of these, which became a serious riot and - affray, they were actually led on by one of their commanders, - Lieutenant Howe, of the _Greyhound_. This gentleman canvassed for - the reds, attended their parades in their uniform, and wore a red - ribbon, the cognizance of the party his efforts were intended to - support. Several sailors were employed to erect a booth in front - of the lodgings of the red candidates. A top-mast from the stores - of the _Greyhound_ was raised up, to which a stage was fixed, for - the red candidates to make speeches from. Custom House flags were - carried in the red parades, and hung out of public-houses in the - red interest, and a Custom House ensign was suspended from the - top-mast in front of the red candidates lodgings. _The Greyhound - was laid in the Humber, about two miles from Grimsby, to receive - such of the blue party as could be made intoxicated, and - kidnapped on board her; and two of them were actually confined - there until the election was over._ Are such things tolerated by - Government?" - -This letter, with the exception of the passage in italics, was -published in the _Globe_ of August 6, 1830. A similar letter, with -that passage included, was published in the _Courier_ on the 20th of -the same month. Evidence was given confirming the truth of the libel -in every respect, whilst Captain Harris and Colonel Challoner, the -red candidates, stated that they and the plaintiff did every thing in -their power to prevent disturbance, though the attack was commenced by -the blue party. These and several other witnesses went into details in -contradiction to the testimony of the defendant's witnesses, but the -jury found for the plaintiff, damages £10. - -There was a law case much talked about at this time. The _King_ v. -_Cobbett_, tried before Lord Tenterden, in Court of King's Bench, on -7th July. It was an action against the notorious William Cobbett, -charging with the publication, in the _Weekly Political Register_, of -December 11, 1830, of a libel, with intent to raise discontent in the -minds of the labourers in husbandry, and to incite them to acts of -violence, and to destroy corn, machinery, and other property. The -trial lasted all day, and as the jury could not agree, they were -locked up all night. Lord Tenterden came to Court next morning, at -eight o'clock, and finding that the jury, after having been locked up -for fifteen hours, could not agree, discharged them. - -On July 16th, Prince Leopold, the husband of the late Princess -Charlotte, left London for Brussels, having been made King of the -Belgians. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -1831. - - Opening of New London Bridge--After the luncheon--State of the - waiters--Provision for the Princess Victoria--Sale of Sir Walter - Scott's MSS.--The coronation--Its expenses--A "half - crownation"--The Lord Mayor and his gold cup. - - -The next subject for general conversation was the opening of New -London Bridge, on August 1st, by the King and Queen, who went in State -by water from Somerset House, which must have been a beautiful sight, -as any one who can remember the civic water pageant on Lord Mayor's -Day can imagine. - -The following contemporary account, which is the shortest I can find, -is from the _Annual Register_:-- - - "At three o'clock, the hoisting of the Royal standard of England - over the centre of Somerset House, announced the arrival of their - Majesties, and was followed by discharges of cannon of all sorts - from the wharves and barges. When the King and Queen appeared on - the steps descending to the platform from which they were to - embark, the cheers from the crowd was almost deafening. The - awnings of the barges had been removed by his Majesty's desire, - so that a full view of the Royal party could be obtained - throughout the whole line. - - "It was past four o'clock before the Royal barges reached the - bridge. An awning had been thrown halfway over the bridge. On - the London side, adjacent to the side of Old Fishmongers' Hall, - was erected a splendid pavilion. This was the position allotted - to their Majesties, the Royal suite, the Civic authorities, and - the more distinguished of the company. The pavilion was - constructed of standards that had, formerly, waved over the - armies of almost every civilized nation in the world. The breadth - of it was equal to that of the bridge. Its form was quadrangular, - and, at the four corners, were placed, upon raised broad - pedestals, groups of men in armour. The pillars which supported - the royal pavilion were adorned with flags, shields, helmets, and - massive swords. Their Majesties' seats were beneath a gorgeous - canopy of state of crimson cloth, the back of which was formed of - plate glass. - - "To the right and left of this canopy were places for the members - of the Royal family, the ministers, and many of the nobility. - From the ends of the principal table, and at right angles to it, - ran two other narrow tables, which were reserved for civic - authorities and members of Parliament. No other tables were - placed in the royal pavilion, and thus a large open space was - preserved in front of their Majesties, whose view of the whole of - the company under the awning was free and unobstructed, except - for the drapery which formed the front of the tent.... - - "The stairs on the London side of the bridge had been covered - with crimson cloth, and at the bottom of these stairs, their - Majesties were received with all the formalities usual upon the - occasion of royal visits to the City. The King was handed out of - his barge by Mr. Routh, who gave his Majesty his arm. Mr. Jones, - as chairman of the 'New London Bridge Committee,' was present to - receive her Majesty on her landing. Upon stepping ashore, the - King addressed these gentlemen in the following words: 'Mr. Jones - and Mr. Routh, I am very glad to see you on London bridge. It is, - certainly, a most beautiful edifice; and the spectacle is the - grandest and most delightful, in every respect, that I ever had - the pleasure to witness.' His Majesty then paused to survey the - scene around him. At this moment the air was rent with the most - deafening cheers on all sides, and the King, taking off his hat, - acknowledged this hearty greeting of his subjects by repeated - bows. - - [Illustration: Opening of New London Bridge, August 1, 1831.] - - "Their Majesties proceeded to the top of the stairs, where the - sword and keys of the City were tendered to the King by the - Lord Mayor, and, on returning them, his Majesty signified his - wish that they should remain in his Lordship's hands. The - Chairman of the Committee then presented his Majesty with a gold - medal, commemorative of the opening of the bridge, having, on one - side, an impression of the King's head, and, on the reverse, a - view of the new bridge, with the dates of the present ceremony, - and of the laying of the first stone. As soon as these - formalities had been completed, the whole of the Royal party had - assembled in the pavilion, their Majesties proceeded to the end - of the bridge, attended by their Royal Highnesses, the Dukes of - Cumberland and Sussex, and by the principal members of the Royal - family. The officers of the Royal household, nearly all the - ministers, and a vast number of the nobility, and of the members - of the House of Commons, composed the Royal procession. In going - to, and returning from the Surrey end of the bridge, their - Majesties threw medals to the spectators on each side of them. - - "As soon as it was announced that his Majesty was approaching the - bridge, Mr. Green had caused his balloon to be filled, and just - as the Royal procession had reached the Surrey side of the - bridge, Mr. Green made his ascent. His Majesty showed himself - from the parapets on either side of the bridge to the assembled - multitudes below. - - "After the conclusion of this ceremony, the Royal party returned - to the pavilion, where a cold collation was laid out. A similar - repast was served up to the guests at all the other tables. After - the healths of the King and Queen had been drank, amid loud - acclamations, the Lord Mayor presented a gold cup of great beauty - to the King, who said, taking the cup, 'I cannot but refer, on - this occasion, to the great work which has been accomplished by - the citizens of London. The City of London has been renowned for - its magnificent improvements, and we are commemorating a most - extraordinary instance of their skill and talent. I shall propose - the source whence this vast improvement sprung. 'The trade and - commerce of the City of London.' The King then drank of what is - called the 'loving cup,' of which every other member of the Royal - family partook. - - "At six o'clock their Majesties re-embarked, amidst the same loud - cheering, firing of artillery, ringing of bells, and other marks - of respect which had marked their progress down." - -As a pendant to this picture, let us read a paragraph out of the -_Times_ of August 4th:-- - - "Rather an odd picture presented itself under the pavilion on - Monday night. The wines, it was well known by all who partook of - the hospitality of the Directors of the Bridge House Estates, out - of which all the expenses of the magnificent entertainment are to - be defrayed, were most abundantly supplied. Several of the - waiters, over whom nobody seemed to have any control, after the - bulk of the company had departed, took care to appropriate the - champagne and hock in such a manner that the Aldermen and other - members of the Committee looked about in vain for a bottle. Mr. - Oldham, the Chairman of the Royal Entertainment Committee, who - was upon his legs all day, in attendance upon their Majesties, - was obliged, at the conclusion of the feast, to beg, for God's - sake, for a glass of wine out of a bottle, which a gentleman had - taken out of a waiter's hiding-place; and Sir Claudius S. Hunter, - after running about for some time, to accommodate a few of his - female friends, was obliged, at last, to 'give it up.' In the - meantime, the wine was, every moment, sent forth from the cellar - in abundance. In a little while, however, the cause of the - deficiency was discovered. The Marshals, in going round, - perceived that almost all the waiters were blind drunk, and they - moved them, by dozens, from the scene of festivity, amid the - laughter of the crowds at the barriers. The fact is, that the - waiters employed upon this occasion were all trustworthy persons, - many of them the proprietors of respectable taverns; and they - calculated that, as through their means the plate and other - property were all safe, the least they could do was to drink - their Majesties health in overwhelming bumpers." - -On the day following the royal visit, the bridge was thrown open to -the public, and it was computed that about 200,000 people passed over -it from the London side. - -The next thing that gave people something to talk about, was the -King's message to Parliament respecting a suitable maintenance for the -heir-presumptive to the throne. This he did on August 2nd, as -follows:-- - - "WILLIAM, R.--His Majesty, taking into consideration that since - the Parliament had made a provision for the support of her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Alexandrina - Victoria of Kent, circumstances have arisen which make it proper - that a more adequate provision should be made for Her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent, and for the honourable support and - education of her Highness the Princess Alexandrina Victoria of - Kent, recommends the consideration thereof to this House, and - relies on the attachment of his faithful Commons to adopt such - measures as may be suitable to the occasion." - -Accordingly, next day, the House of Commons went into committee on the -matter, and Lord Althorp (Chancellor of the Exchequer), in a short -speech, compared the situation, as heirs to the throne, of the -Princess Charlotte and the Princess Victoria. He pointed out that upon -the birth of the Princess Charlotte, the Princess of Wales received -£6000 a year for her maintenance; and that, in 1806, the sum was -raised to £7000, to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. In addition -to this, the Princess Charlotte was paid a sum of £34,000 out of the -Droits of the Admiralty, and received £9777 from the Civil List. Upon -the whole, the income received by the Princess Charlotte, from the -tenth year of her age, amounted to £17,000 a year. In 1825 the sum of -£6000 was granted for the support of the Princess Victoria, and that -was all that had been voted by the public for her maintenance. It was -his duty to make a proposition for the future support and maintenance -of the Princess Victoria, and it was his intention to follow the -precedent of 1825, and to vote the money to her Royal Highness the -Duchess of Kent, to be by her applied to the support and education of -her daughter. - -The amount of income received by the Duchess of Kent was £6000 a year, -an allowance settled upon her at the time of her marriage, and a -further sum of £6000 which she received on account of the Princess -Victoria. He proposed that £10,000 a year be added to this income, -which would make the whole allowance received by the Duchess of Kent, -£22,000; namely, £6000 for the Duchess herself, and the remaining -£16,000 for the maintenance of the Princess Victoria. He, therefore, -proposed the following resolution:-- - - "That it is the opinion of this Committee, that his Majesty - should be enabled to grant a yearly sum, not exceeding £10,000 - out of the Consolidated Funds of the United Kingdom of Great - Britain and Ireland, for a more adequate provision for her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the honourable support and - education of her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandrina Victoria - of Kent; and the said yearly sum to be paid from the 5th of - January, 1831." - -To this there was no objection made by any member of whatever shade of -politics he might be; indeed all said they would heartily support it, -save one. Henry Hunt, the radical member for Preston, who, "feeling -that he should not do his duty to his constituents if he did not -oppose every kind of extravagance, he moved, as an amendment to the -resolution, to substitute £5000 for £10,000." But in the end, on a -division of the committee on this amendment, the numbers were--Ayes, -0; Noes, 223; majority, 223. The Bill received the Royal Assent -September 6th, 1831, and is known in the Statute book as 1 and 2 Gul. -IV. c. 20. - -Apropos of this, there was a little joke, in the shape of a drawing by -H. B., which can neither be placed as a satirical print, nor a -caricature, but is a simple bit of pure fun. About the time of this -discussion, the Bishopric of Derry was vacant, value about £11,000 a -year, and it was humorously suggested that, to save the nation the -£10,000, the Princess Victoria should be made - -[Illustration: "The New Bishop of Derry."] - -On the 17th of August a bronze statue, by Chantry, of William Pitt, -the statesman was erected in Hanover Square, where it now stands. - -On the 19th of August there were sold, during the lifetime of their -writer many manuscripts of Sir Walter Scott's novels. The auctioneer -was Mr. Evans of Pall Mall, and the prices they fetched were as -follows: "The Monastery," warranted perfect, £18. "Guy Mannering," -wanting a folio at the end of the second volume, £27 19_s._ "Old -Mortality," perfect, £33. "The Antiquary," perfect, £42. "Rob Roy," -complete, but the second volume wrongly paged, £50. "Peveril of the -Peak," perfect, £42. "Waverley," very imperfect, £18. "The Abbot," -imperfect, £14. "Ivanhoe," £12. "The Pirate," imperfect, £12. "The -Fortunes of Nigel," £16. "Kenilworth," imperfect, £17. "The Bride of -Lammermoor," £14 14_s._ In all, £316 4_s._ - -But _the_ topic of conversation for the year was the coronation, and -much was the gossip and town talk thereon. It was to be nothing as -grand as that of George the Magnificent, the amount voted by the House -of Commons, on September 1st, to be expended upon it, being only -£50,000. There was to be no banquet in Westminster Hall, no Champion; -and the people satirically called it a "half-crownation." But the -spirit of economy was abroad, and the tastes of the _bourgeois_ -monarch were simple. And the outlay was well within the sum granted, -the actual expenditure being-- - - £ _s._ _d._ - - In the several departments of their Majesties - households 22,234 10 3 - - By the Office of Arms, for the King's Heralds - and Pursuivants 1478 3 9 - - In the Office of Works, for fitting up the - Abbey, etc. 12,085 14 5 - - In the Mint for Coronation Medals 4326 4 6 - - The amount expended for fireworks, and for - keeping open the public theatres on the - night of the Coronation 3034 18 7 - ------------- - Total 43,159 11 6 - ---------------- - -Great fun was made of this meagre spectacle, as we may see by the -satirical sketch shown on p. 72, by H. B., entitled, "Going to a -Half-Crownation," where the Dukes of Cumberland and Sussex are shown -in a hack cab, the King and Queen in a hackney coach, on the box of -which sits Lord Chancellor Brougham, bearing the great seal; whilst -the omnibus behind contains the Fitzclarences, the King's family by -Mrs. Jordan. The peers and peeresses are on foot; first, Lord Grey -carrying the Sword of State, then Lord and Lady Durham, and last, Lady -Grey. The gentleman on horseback is Mr. Lee, High Bailiff of -Westminster. - -[Illustration: A Half-Crownation.] - -At the customary banquet in Westminster Hall, the Lord Mayor of London -is by prescriptive right the chief butler on the occasion, and hands -the King wine in a gold goblet, which he receives as his fee, but -there being no banquet on this occasion, there was no gold cup. The -_Times_, of August 27th, tells an amusing anecdote respecting the cup -at the coronation of George IV.-- - - "At the last Coronation, Alderman Thorp, then Lord Mayor, - performed service as butler, and received an unusually splendid - gold cup as his perquisite.... A laughable story has been revived - in the City, within the last few days, relative to a former - Coronation. On the occasion we allude to, the Coronation was - fixed for a certain day. The Coronation Cup was under the hands - of the King's jeweller, and the Lord Mayor, who intended to cut a - great dash amongst his fellow citizens, slily went to the person - who was finishing off the article, and told him to make it £30 - richer and more beautiful than his instructions amounted to. This - innocent piece of imposition was accordingly carried into effect, - and his Lordship paid down his £30, and rejoiced in the superior - importance which the value of the perquisite would confer upon - him. By some awful circumstance, the day of Coronation was not - only postponed, but actually appointed to take place in another - mayoralty, and the gold cup, with its £30 worth of superiority, - fell into the hands of a more fortunate chief magistrate and - butler. It is recorded that when the Lord Mayor was receiving the - cup from his Majesty, there was, amongst those who suspected the - disappointment, a general titter, in which all the Aldermen, with - one exception, joined." - -The sum voted for this coronation was so meagre, that a crown for the -Queen could not be included in the expenses. Her Majesty, therefore, -not caring to hire jewels for her crown, as did George IV., had it -decorated with her own personal precious stones. - -I have no space to give an account of the coronation, the ceremonial -of which followed the established use. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -1831. - - Scramble for coronation medals--Bad weather--Fireworks in Hyde - Park--Absence from the ceremony of the Duchess of Kent and - Princess Victoria--The _Times_ thereon--Story of a Great - Seal--Reform Bill rejected by the Lords--Reform riots in the - country and London--Windows of Apsley House broken by the mob. - - -There was a regular scramble for the coronation medals, and one -accident is recorded as having happened to Alderman Sir Claudius -Hunter. He made an effort to catch some of the Coronation medals which -were cast among the company. The other aldermen, however, were as -anxious as he was to get hold of the medal, and, in the _melée_, Sir -Claudius received a cut under the eye, and the blood streamed down. It -happened that the famous surgeon, Sir Astley Cooper, was close by, and -he attended to the wounded man; but it was remarked that none of the -aldermen got a medal in the scramble. Possibly, a medal so obtained, -may have a fictitious value, as a memento, but they could be obtained -at the Mint, or at appointed places in Ludgate Hill, or Panton Street, -Haymarket, at the following prices: gold, £5, silver, 10_s._, bronze, -5_s._ - -During the procession to the Abbey the weather was fine, and the -sight a brilliant one; but, soon after one o'clock, a very heavy rain -descended; the wind, too, blew with great violence, and occasioned -rattling and tearing among the canvas canopies of the newly erected -stands. It ceased for a short time, between two and three, when it -broke out afresh, and was particularly lively when the ceremony was -over, at half-past three. It quite spoilt the return procession, some -of the carriages driving straight away, and those that fell into rank -had their windows up. The general public were in sorry plight, as we -see in the accompanying illustration-- - -[Illustration: "Coronation Day. - -Some of the lieges on their return."] - -In spite of the weather, London was brilliantly illuminated, and the -theatres and Vauxhall Gardens were thrown open free. There was a -display of fireworks in Hyde Park, at which many were more or less -hurt by the falling rocket-sticks, six so seriously as to have to be -taken to St. George's Hospital. Throughout the country the festivity -was universal. - -One little thing marred the universality. The Duchess of Kent was not -present at the coronation, neither was the Princess Victoria. It was -an open secret that the King and the Duchess were not on friendly -terms, but it was thought very bad taste on her part not to be -present; this was freely commented on, as we see in-- - -[Illustration: "The Kentish Lady that did not go to the Coronation."] - -The Duchess is saying to the weeping Princess, "Say no more about the -Coronation, child. I have my _particular reasons_ for not going to -it." - -The _Times_ must needs turn virtuously indignant on the occasion, and -lectured the Royal Duchess thus[8]-- - -[Footnote 8: _Times_, September 7, 1831, p. 3, col. 1.] - - "In the midst of the general interest and affectionate zeal - excited by the sublime ceremony of to-morrow, of a constitutional - monarch pledging himself to a free people to guard their rights - and privileges, it has been remarked, with very general surprise, - that the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria are the only - members of the Royal family, old or young, who are not to be - present at the Coronation. It is with deep regret that we have - learned that her Royal Highness has refused to attend! Yes, has - refused to attend! and that her absence on this occasion, is in - pursuance of a systematic opposition on the part of her Royal - Highness to all the wishes and all the feelings of the present - King. Now, the presence, or absence of the Duchess herself, is a - matter of comparative indifference--it is merely disrespectful; - but that of the Princess Victoria, which must, as to its - immediate cause, be imputed to her mother, cannot fail of being - considered by the public as indecent and offensive. We should be - glad to know who are the advisers of this misguided lady? Who can - have dared to counsel her, the widow of a mediatized German - Prince, whose highest ambition never could have contemplated the - possibility of an alliance with the Blood Royal of England, to - oppose the Sovereign to whom she is bound by so many ties of - gratitude? Her Royal Highness must have been acting under a - well-grounded confidence in the indulgence and forbearance of his - Majesty, or an entire ignorance of the authority of the Crown. - The Constitution has limited the political power of the King, but - has left it uncontrolled and despotic over the members of his own - family; and it cannot be disputed that she who is ignorant of the - respect which is due to the Crown, is unfit to form the mind and - superintend the education of the infant who is destined to wear - it. - - "We could mention some curious facts, which, for the present, we - shall abstain from doing. We would rather admonish than expose, - and shall rejoice if these monitory hints be not thrown away. No - monarch has more endeared himself to his subjects than William - IV.; and the Duchess of Kent is grossly mistaken if she thinks to - ingratiate herself with the people of this country by opposition - to the will and disrespect to the power of the King." - -But the _Times_ sang another tune in its issue of September 10th-- - - "In an affair of great delicacy, to which we have already - alluded, our wish would be, if we might be permitted, to put the - public in possession of the whole truth, and then let the matter - drop, for we know that protracted discussions are apt to excite - resentments which did not, at first, exist. It was impossible - that the absence of the Duchess of Kent, and of the Princess - Victoria, her daughter, from the Coronation, should have escaped - notice; we, therefore, stated what the fact would be, and - assigned some causes for it. We now hope to close the account in - a manner which may suppress rising animosities. We have received - two versions of the affair, and both, if we look to the quarters - from which they come, entitled to the highest consideration. - - "The first says, 'Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent wrote to - the Duke of Norfolk, as Hereditary Earl Marshal, to know how she - was to go to the Abbey herself, and what arrangement had been - made for the Princess Victoria. The answer was: that his Majesty - had signified his pleasure that her Royal Highness should attend - in her place as a dowager Princess and Peeress, and that the - Princess Victoria should go under the care of the Landgravine and - the Princess Augusta, and be attended by the Duchess of - Northumberland, in the Royal pew. This answer having been - received, so far was her Royal Highness from declining - attendance, that she ordered her robes, and it was understood by - all the Royal family that she would be there. The King, never - doubting but that the Duchess would be at the Coronation, ordered - a letter to be written to her to know whom she would name to - carry her Coronet: to this, no answer was received. After waiting - some time, his Majesty ordered another letter to be written in - his own name, and to this, an answer did come, from Sir John - Conroy, speaking of her attendance as uncertain, but saying that, - if she did attend, she would have her coronet borne by Lord - Morpeth.' - - "Our other account agrees, in the chief facts, with the - preceding; but adds, 'Her Royal Highness wrote to express her - ready compliance with the arrangement made as to the places - selected for herself and her daughter, and her desire to be - present at the ceremony, and to mark her dutiful regard to his - Majesty; but it was, afterwards, considered inexpedient to - interrupt the benefit which the Princess Victoria's health was - receiving by her residence near the sea; and, upon this ground, - and, also, upon the expense which would attend the Duchess of - Kent's leaving the Isle of Wight, and removing all her - establishment to town, so as to appear in state at the - Coronation, his Majesty was pleased, in the most gracious, and - the kindest manner, to dispense with the attendance of the - Duchess of Kent, and the Princess, her daughter.' - - "Upon these two accounts we may observe, that the latter takes no - notice of the delay in answering the letters written by his - Majesty's direction; and the former omits all mention of the - King's graciously dispensing with the attendance of the - illustrious personages at the Coronation. It may seem singular - that the Duchess should first apply to know the place assigned to - herself and the Princess, and, after these were known, decline - attendance, if there were no dissatisfaction. But, perhaps, some - cause for alarm might have sprung up, on the score of her - daughter's health. The expense was no greater after the question - about places was answered than before. However, his Majesty's - acquiescence in the reasons alleged for absence, may serve to - satisfy the objections of every other person. - - "The claims of an heiress presumptive are not recognised, so far - as we know, in any part of the Constitution; and to consolidate - any pretensions of this hypothetical nature into an opposition to - his Majesty, as it would be madness, we feel very well convinced, - cannot be contemplated by her Royal Highness." - -And with this episode we will close the coronation. - -About this time Greville tells a little story of a Council Meeting. - - "September 3.--This King is a queer fellow. Our Council was, - principally, for a new Great Seal, and to deface the old Seal. - The Chancellor claims the old one as his perquisite. I had - forgotten the hammer,[9] so the King said, 'My Lord, the best - thing I can do, is to give you the Seal, and tell you to take it, - and do what you please with it.' The Chancellor said, 'Sir, I - believe there is some doubt whether Lord Lyndhurst ought not to - have half of it, as he was Chancellor at the time of your - Majesty's accession.' 'Well,' said the King, 'then, I will judge - between you, like Solomon; here' (turning the Seal round and - round), 'now do you cry heads or tails?' We all laughed, and the - Chancellor said, 'Sir, I take the bottom part.' The King opened - the two compartments of the Seal, and said, 'Now, then, I employ - you as Ministers of taste. You will send for Bridge, my - silversmith, and desire him to convert the two halves, each into - a salver, with my arms on one side, and yours on the other, and - Lord Lyndhurst's the same; and you will take one, and give him - the other, and both keep them as presents from me.'" - -[Footnote 9: Defacing an old Great Seal is a very perfunctory -performance. The two halves are slightly tapped with a hammer, and the -seal is, by a fiction, supposed to be so defaced as to be incapable of -being used again.] - -We, lately, have heard a great deal against the House of Lords, even -to its being abolished, but this was as nothing compared to the -feeling excited by the Reform Bill. At half-past five on the morning -of September 22nd, the Bill was read a third time, and passed, in the -House of Commons, by a majority of 113. It then went to the Lords, and -on the second reading Lord Wharncliffe moved, "That the Bill be read -that day six months." The Lords had five days' debate upon the Bill, -and rejected it on October 7th by a majority of 41. - -This raised the ire of the Reform party; and, as was the custom of -the age, riots ensued. The _Annual Register_ gives the following -condensed account of them:-- - - "The rejection of the Reform Bill caused some partial - disturbances in the country. At Derby, a mob, on Saturday and - Sunday, the 8th and 9th, committed several outrages, attacked the - city gaol, set the prisoners at liberty, and then proceeded to - the county gaol, where they were resisted and foiled in the - attempt: on Monday evening quiet was restored, but not before - several lives were lost, and many persons wounded. One young man, - son of Mr. Haden, surgeon, was killed by the mob. - - "At Nottingham, the castle, which belongs to the Duke of - Newcastle, was burnt down; Colwick Hall, the seat of John - Musters, Esq., was broke into, the furniture destroyed (including - several valuable pictures, particularly Sir Joshua Reynolds' - whole length of Mrs. M.), and the house set on fire, which, - however, was soon extinguished. A factory at Beeston, belonging - to Mr. Lowe, was burnt down. The House of Correction was - attacked, but, the 15th Hussars arriving, the mob dispersed; - fifteen of them were made prisoners. Some trifling disturbances - took place at Loughborough. - - "In the metropolis, also, fears were entertained; on the 10th the - inhabitants of Bond Street were thrown into a panic, by a report - that a mob of several thousand persons were coming, with the - determination of breaking all windows where the shutters were not - closed. Although it was only six o'clock, every shop was - instantly closed, and the street presented, from one end to the - other, a very dark and gloomy appearance. In Regent Street and - some other of the great thoroughfares, the shutters were closed; - and where there was property, more particularly valuable, boards - were nailed across. Several Reform meetings were held on the same - day, and various stratagems were had recourse to, by their - promoters, to induce the shopkeepers and other inhabitants, to - make a display of revolutionary emblems. - - "On the 11th, as three policemen were coming through St. James's - Square, with a prisoner in their custody, the crowd surrounded - them, and rescued the prisoner. The constables took out their - staves, but were pushed along until they arrived at Waterloo - Place, where they were joined by a party of police. At the corner - of Waterloo Place, the crowd took advantage of a heap of - macadamised stones, which they flung at the police in every - direction, so that the latter were glad to make their escape. - - "Between two and three o'clock, a large assemblage took place in - Hyde Park. Stones were thrown at Apsley House, and a few squares - of glass were broken. When some of the Duke of Wellington's - servants presented themselves at the windows, great hissing and - hooting followed, and immediately afterwards, a shower of stones - was thrown at the house, and almost every square of glass in it - was demolished. Some policemen, who were upon the spot at the - time, endeavoured to drive the crowd out of the Park, but violent - resistance was made, and the constables were, ultimately, - compelled to make a precipitate retreat, and take shelter in his - grace's mansion. Notice of these proceedings having been given to - St. James's police station, a large party of the C and T - divisions, headed by a superintendent and four inspectors, - proceeded with all possible haste to Hyde Park, where they formed - in a body under the statue. They had not been there many minutes - before they were saluted with several showers of stones. These - attacks were, for a time, borne with exemplary patience; but, at - length, a large crowd having collected in front of the Duke of - Wellington's house, the police, in number about 200, sallied - forth, and, in an instant, the rabble ran in all directions. - Several of the ringleaders were taken into custody, and conveyed - to Knightsbridge barracks. - - "After the mob had been driven out of Hyde Park, they proceeded - to the mansion of Earl Dudley, and commenced throwing stones at - the windows; but a strong body of police, who had been stationed - in his lordship's stables, suddenly rushed upon them with their - staves, and the mob were beaten off. - - "Some desperate attacks were made upon the new police by - regularly organised gangs of pickpockets, and several constables - were very severely beaten. At the corner of Charles Street, St. - James's Square, some young thieves were taken into custody by - three of the police, who were detached from the main body; the - prisoners were rescued, and the constables were obliged to make - their escape. One of the inspectors of the C division, who was - parading in Pall Mall in private clothes, was recognised by some - of the rabble, who kicked him and beat him in so cruel a manner, - that he narrowly escaped with his life. - - After the _Levée_ was over, a vast number of the lower orders - assembled in the park, awaiting the arrival of some of the - Anti-Reform peers. About five o'clock, the Marquis of - Londonderry, accompanied by a friend, made his appearance on - horseback, and was proceeding to the House of Lords. Before the - Marquis was aware, he found himself in the midst of between 4000 - and 5000 persons. At first, he was not recognised, and he was - proceeding with apparent security, when, on a sudden, a voice - exclaimed, 'There goes the Marquis of Londonderry.' In an instant - he was assailed with pebbles. Several of the missiles struck his - lordship, which so enraged him, that he pulled up his horse, and - solemnly declared that he would shoot at the first individual who - again dared to molest him. His lordship accompanied his - declaration by pulling out a brace of pistols. This, for a time, - so intimidated the mob, that they gave way in a slight degree; - and, after the Marquis had conversed for a few seconds with a - gentleman on horseback near him, he rode off towards the Horse - Guards. Thither the mob followed; and, believing that his - lordship only endeavoured to intimidate them, they commenced - another attack. The showers of stones were now thicker than ever, - and one stone, hurled with considerable force, struck the noble - Marquis immediately over his right temple, cut through his hat, - and inflicted a serious wound on his head, which rendered his - lordship nearly insensible. The military here interposed, and the - Marquis was placed in a hackney coach, and conveyed home." - -The Rev. G. R. Gleig, in his "Life of Arthur, Duke of Wellington" -(edit. 1864, p. 360), gives the following account of the -window-breaking at Apsley House:-- - - "The Duke was not in his place in the House of Lords on that - memorable day when the King went down to dissolve - Parliament.[10] He had been in attendance, for some time - previously, at the sick bed of the Duchess, and she expired just - as the Park guns began to fire. He was, therefore, ignorant of - the state into which London had fallen, till a surging crowd - swept up from Westminster to Piccadilly, shouting and yelling, - and offering violence to all whom they suspected of being - Anti-Reformers. By-and-by, volleys of stones came crashing - through the windows at Apsley house, breaking them to pieces and - doing injury to more than one valuable picture in the gallery. - The Duke bore the outrage as well as he could, but determined - never to run a similar risk again. He guarded his windows, as - soon as quiet was restored, with iron shutters, and left them - there to the day of his death, a standing memento of a nation's - ingratitude." - -[Footnote 10: I cannot reconcile these dates. The King prorogued -Parliament on October 20th, whilst there is no doubt that the attack -on Apsley House took place on the 11th, for it is mentioned in the -parliamentary reports of the 12th.] - -Doubtless many of my readers remember those shutters, which were -always down, and were not removed until after his funeral on November -18, 1852. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -1831. - - Reform procession--The Corporation of London and the - King--Dreadful riots at Bristol--Riots in other parts of the - kingdom--Edward Irving and the "Gifts of Tongues"--The - cholera--Its spread--State of Ireland--Tithe agitation--Scarcity - of food--Repeal of the Union--Cases of violence. - - -A large portion of the nation, and London in particular, had Reform on -the brain; and, as soon as the news of the rejection of the Bill was -generally known, it was arranged at a meeting of delegates from the -several parishes that separate addresses to the King should be -presented from each, and that deputations should be accompanied to St. -James's Palace by such of the parishioners who chose to attend. -Accordingly, on October 12th, deputations and auxiliaries from St. -Marylebone, St. Pancras, St. Luke's Clerkenwell, St. James -Westminster, and St. Mary Newington, marched to St. James's, and it -was reckoned that there was an assemblage of about sixty thousand -people. - -The deputations waited on Lord Melbourne, who was Home Secretary, and -requested him to present them to the King. My Lord diplomatically -replied that he would first learn his Majesty's pleasure thereon, but -would advise them to give the addresses to the members for Middlesex, -Messrs. Byng and Hume, who would present them, which was accordingly -done. The members returned in about an hour, when Mr. Hume addressed -the mob. He told them that he had presented their addresses to his -Majesty, telling him that they were passed at meetings of near forty -thousand persons, and that they prayed he would retain his -ministers--use all constitutional means to pass the Reform Bill--and -dismiss those persons from his court and household who were opposed to -the measure; and he further informed his hearers, that the King had -distinctly promised that their prayers should be complied with, and -that he had emphatically observed that he had the highest confidence -in his present ministry, and that every means in his power should be -used to secure the success of a measure so essentially necessary to -the interest, happiness, and welfare of his people; and, further, all -persons about his court, or person, opposed to the Bill should be -removed. The mob cheered loudly, and duly broke windows and committed -excesses on their way back. - -The City of London, now so overwhelmingly Conservative, was then, and -long after, violently Radical in its politics, and, consequently, must -needs present an address to the King, as, by prescriptive right, they -were entitled to do. The King received the Mayor and Corporation, -seated upon his throne, and to their address gave the following -diplomatic answer:-- - - "I receive, with satisfaction, the expression of your loyalty and - attachment to my person and government, and of your confidence in - my Constitutional advisers. - - "You may be assured of my sincere desire to uphold and to improve - the securities afforded by the Constitution, for the maintenance - of the just rights of my people, and you may rely on my continued - disposition to further the adoption of such measures as may seem - best calculated for that purpose. For the safe and successful - accomplishment of such measures, it is, above all things, - necessary that they should be discussed with calmness and - deliberation; and I earnestly recommend to you to use all the - influence you justly possess, with your fellow citizens, for the - purpose of preserving the public peace from any interruption by - acts of violence and commotion." - -So serious were these riots thought, that extraordinary military -precautions were taken, as we read in the _Globe_ of October 11th-- - - "A double guard of the first regiment of household cavalry is - placed at the Horse Guards, and a horse patrol is parading in St. - James's Park. A party of eighty of the same regiment is lying at - the gun house, near the long gun in St. James's Park. An extra - guard was ordered at the Magazine in Hyde Park yesterday morning. - Orders were also sent to Woolwich to have the artillery in - readiness, should occasion require their presence in the - metropolis. The troops in Hounslow barracks are also in a state - for immediate service. Large quantities of ammunition have been - delivered out to the troops at their respective barracks and - quarters, and even the recruits at the recruiting house are under - arms." - -London, however, had had enough of rioting. Not so, in the country, -notably at Bristol, where they rivalled the celebrated Lord George -Gordon riots of 1780. It began with the advent of Sir Charles -Wetherell, the Recorder of the City, on October 29th, to hold the -Sessions there. He had voted against the Reform Bill, and was mobbed -and stoned. He eventually opened the Sessions, and retired to the -Mansion House, before which a mob of some ten thousand people were -assembled. The mayor came forward, begged of them to depart, and read -the Riot Act. Much they cared for that, for they knew there were no -military, and the police force was totally inadequate to cope with -them; so they made an attack on the Mansion House, to get at the -obnoxious Recorder, who managed to make his escape and left the city. - -They were about to set fire to the Mansion House, when the troops -arrived. The colonel cautioned the people, but they would not -disperse, and a charge was ordered, in which some of the mob received -severe sabre cuts, and one man was shot dead. The night passed fairly -quietly, owing to the soldiers parading the town and preventing the -crowd uniting. - -The next day, being Sunday, and things seeming pretty quiet, the -soldiers, who had been on duty for twenty-four hours, were dismissed -for refreshment; but they had scarcely disappeared, when the rioters -again assembled, attacked the Mansion House, sacked it, and got raving -drunk on the contents of its cellar--so much so, that several died -from drunkenness. The troops were again called out, but were received -with such a shower of stones and bricks, that it was deemed prudent to -withdraw them; but whilst this was being done, they were attacked -again and again, until they fired in self-defence, killing several -persons. - -The mob then attacked the Bridewell, liberated the prisoners, and set -fire to the building. They then went to the New Gaol, sacked the -governor's house, broke open the gaol, and released the -prisoners--after which they set the building on fire. Then they burnt -the Tollgates, after which they released the prisoners in Gloucester -County Gaol, and set fire to it; so that three prisons were in flames -at the same time. - -Then they set fire to the Mansion House and the Bishop's Palace, after -which they burnt many houses and the Custom House, where there was -some loss of life: altogether, that day, they completely destroyed -forty-two dwelling-houses, besides the public buildings already -mentioned; whilst, round about the scene of devastation, lay many of -the rioters in the last stage of senseless intoxication, with -countenances more resembling fiends than men. - -Meantime the soldiers, who had been ordered out of the city, were -brought back; and the magistrates, having re-assembled, came, at -length, to a decision, and called out the _posse comitatus_. The -military were then ordered to clear the streets--an order which was -fulfilled to the letter by a party of the troops, which had -experienced some rough treatment, and had, in consequence, fired upon -the people on the previous day. Nothing was to be seen on every side -but women and children, running screaming in every direction, many -being severely wounded, and some killed. The number of casualties were -never known; but it was said that the killed and wounded did not -exceed 100. Of the dead, as far as could be ascertained, 6 were burnt, -2 shot, 2 died of sword-cuts, and 2 from excessive drinking. Of the -wounded, 10 were injured by shots, 48 by sword-cuts, 2 by drinking, -and 34 from other causes. Many prisoners were taken, and 180 were -committed for trial, 50 of whom were capitally charged with rioting -and burning. There were, also, riots at Bath, Coventry, and Worcester, -but they were child's play compared to that at Bristol. - -About this time there was great talk of one Edward Irving, pastor of -the Scotch National Church, in Regent Square, and the miraculous gift -of tongues. In London, at all events, this peculiar manifestation -seems to have commenced on Sunday, October 9th, when Mr. Irving -delivered two sermons on the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, on -which occasions the congregation was disturbed by individuals speaking -in unknown language. During the morning's sermon, a lady (Mrs. Hall), -thus singularly endowed, was compelled to retire to the vestry, where -she was unable (so she said) to restrain herself, and spoke for some -time in the unknown tongue, to the great surprise of the congregation. -In the evening a Mr. Tamplin did the same, creating great confusion. -Next Sunday a Mr. Carsdale was similarly affected, and these -manifestations, afterwards, became common. - -The accompanying illustration is by Seymour, and purported to be -sketched from life. It is called, "The Unknown Tongues--Daybreak at -the National Scotch Church, Regent Square. _Refrain from these Men_, -etc., Acts iv." Irving is seated, Mr. Tamplin is standing with an open -book, Mrs. Hall is one of the ladies, and Mr. Carsdale leans his head -on his hand. - -[Illustration: The Unknown Tongues.] - -The sect which Irving founded is still in existence, and is called by -its followers, "The Holy Catholic Apostolic Church." Their principal -place of worship is in a beautiful church in Gordon Square. - -The cholera was advancing step by step through Europe, and it became -certain that England could not escape its visitation. As a matter of -precaution, the Board of Health, early in October, issued a notice -detailing the symptoms of the disease, and the remedies to be applied -in case of seizure. And, not content with trying earthly means to -avert the pestilence, the aid of Heaven was implored, and a form of -prayer, with that intent, was read in all the Metropolitan churches on -November 6th. But the "destroying angel" prayed against, came in due -course, and made its first appearance at Sunderland. The earliest -account I can find of it is in the _Globe_ of November 11th, which -says-- - - "We have been favoured with the following official return from - Sunderland, received this morning by the Board of Health:--Four - deaths; seven new cases." - -That acute observer, Greville, writes under date November 14th-- - - "For the last two or three days the reports from Sunderland about - the Cholera have been of a doubtful character. The disease makes - so little progress that the doctors begin, again, to doubt - whether it is the Indian Cholera, and the merchants, shipowners, - and inhabitants, who suffer from the restraints imposed upon an - infected place, are loudly complaining of the measures which have - been adopted, and strenuously insisting that their town is in a - more healthy state than usual, and the disease is no more than - what it is usually visited with at this season. - - "In the mean time all preparations are going on in London, just - as if the disorder was actually on its way to the metropolis. We - have a Board at the Council Office, between which, and the Board - at the College, some civilities have passed, and the latter is - now ready to yield up its functions to the former, which, - however, will not be regularly constituted without much - difficulty and many jealousies, all owing to official - carelessness and mismanagement. The Board has been diligently - employed in drawing up suggestions and instructions to local - boards and parochial authorities, and great activity has - prevailed here, in establishing committees for the purposes of - visiting the different districts of the metropolis, and making - such arrangements as may be necessary, in the event of sickness - breaking out. There is no lack of money or labour for this end, - and one great good will be accomplished, let what will happen, - for much of the filth and misery of the town will be brought to - light, and the condition of the poorer and more wretched of the - inhabitants can hardly fail to be ameliorated. - - "The reports from Sunderland exhibit a state of human misery, and - necessarily, of moral degradation, such as I hardly ever heard - of, and it is no wonder, when a great part of that community is - plunged into such a condition (and we may fairly suppose that - there is a gradually mounting scale, with every degree of - wretchedness, up to the wealth and splendour which glitter on the - surface of society), that there should be so many who are ripe - for any desperate scheme of revolution. At Sunderland, they say, - there are houses with 150 inmates, who are huddled five and six - in a bed. They are in the lowest state of poverty. The sick in - these receptacles are attended by an apothecary's boy, who brings - them (or, I suppose, tosses them) medicines, without distinction - or inquiry." - -It spread to Newcastle early in December, and thence to other -neighbouring places, until the returns were, on December 30th, as -follows:-- - - Total cases from commencement Deaths. - of disease. - Sunderland 528 197 - Newcastle 286 99 - North Shields and Tynemouth 16 9 - Gateshead 143 55 - Houghton le Spring and Pensher 29 14 - Haddington 6 4 - Walker Colliery 7 1 - -It is impossible to give an account of this year without noticing the -state of Ireland. It began badly, for the peasantry marched, in bands, -throughout the country, demanding reduction of rents and increase of -wages; and threatening destruction to the magistrates and gentry who -should disobey or endeavour to resist. Nor did they stop at threats. -In January, a Mr. Blood (county Clare) was murdered by ruffians -introduced, for the purpose, by his own servants. In the middle of -February, a Mr. Synge, who had tenants on Church lands, was pierced -with four bullets in the neighbourhood of his own house; and, only a -week afterwards, a magistrate, in Tipperary, was murdered by a band -who entered his house to search for arms. - -The peasantry, in some parts, were in great distress. In the country, -as well as in the large towns, crowds were famishing for want of food, -and sinking into bodily sickness from want of clothing during the -inclemency of the winter. In only two baronies of the county of Mayo -there were stated to be, in the middle of February, twenty thousand -persons without any visible means of procuring food. The potato crop -had failed along the western coast of Ireland, and it was estimated -that in that district of the island there would be, almost -immediately, at least two hundred thousand persons in want of food. -Things were nearly as bad in Galway and Sligo, and in some other parts -of the island. Petitions were presented to Parliament praying for -relief, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed a vote of £50,000 -to be advanced to certain Commissioners, who should lend it, on proper -security, to be used in giving employment to the starving population, -in making roads, and similar public works. - -[Illustration: Man.] - -Then, again, there was the cry of the Repeal of the Union, and Daniel -O'Connell was to the fore, and soon began to show the physical force -at his command. He advertised that the trades of Dublin were to march -through its streets on December 27, 1830, and the Lord Lieutenant -forbad it, by proclamation, on December 25th, as being unlawful. -O'Connell then formed "The General Association of Ireland for the -_Prevention of Unlawful Meetings_, and for the protection and -exercise of the sacred Right of Petitioning for the Redress of -Grievances." This was forbidden, as unlawfully meeting, by the Lord -Lieutenant on January 7th. He held meetings, however, and, on January -18th, he and his leading partisans were apprehended and taken before -the magistrates, and let out on bail. The same month true bills were -found against all concerned, and he availed himself of every legal -quibble. He first put in a demurrer, and pleaded, _Not guilty_; then -he withdrew his demurrer and pleaded _Guilty_; but neither he nor any -of the agitators were ever brought up for judgment. - -In the spring of the year, in some portions of Ireland, notably in -Clare, Roscommon, Galway, and Tipperary, the law seemed no longer to -exist. Murder, robbery, searching for arms, etc., were done by bodies -of men who could only be met by military force, and were the ordinary -occurrences of every day. The lord lieutenant made a progress through -the disturbed districts, hoping thereby to restore tranquillity. He -was neither insulted nor murdered, but he did no good, and matters -remained as they were. - -It is impossible to notice all the cases of outrage, but I will give -two as being typical. On June 18th, certain cattle, which had been -impounded for the payment of tithe, were to be sold at Newton Barry in -the County of Wexford. On the day of the intended sale, which happened -to be market day, the populace were called to act, by the following -placard:-- - - "Inhabitants of the parish of St. Mary, Newton Barry, there will - be an end to Church plunder; your pot, blanket, and pig will not, - hereafter, be sold by auction, to support in luxury, idleness and - ease, persons who endeavour to make it appear that it is - essential to the peace and prosperity of the country and your - eternal salvation, while the most of you are starving. Attend to - an auction of your neighbour's cattle, on Saturday next, the 18th - instant, seized for tithe by the Rev. Alexander M'Clintock." - -The police were thus put upon their guard, and a body of yeomanry was -in readiness. The populace interfered with the sale, and the police -with the populace. The yeomanry had to act in support of the police. -The consequence was that twelve or thirteen of the populace were -killed by the fire of the yeomanry, and about twenty wounded. The -coroner's jury, after sitting for nine days, returned no verdict. Six -Protestants, who were upon it, and six Catholics, being, it is said, -directly opposed to each other in opinion. The Crown directed its -officers to make an investigation, in consequence of which, bills of -indictment were presented, at the Wexford Assizes, in July, against -certain of the yeomanry, including the captain who commanded them, and -a sergeant. - -The prosecution was conducted by the Crown, in conjunction with the -next of kin of the parties killed. The bills charged murder; the grand -jury ignored them all, but expressed their readiness to entertain -bills for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant. The counsel -for the next of kin refused to co-operate with the crown in trying for -the minor charge, but the Crown counsel declared that the case must -be gone through, whatever the next of kin might choose to do. Bills -for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant were then sent up. -The bill against the former was ignored, a true bill was found against -the latter. He was put upon his trial, but the witnesses had -disappeared. The trial was postponed till the following day, but then, -too, not one of them was forthcoming, and the case was delayed till -the next assizes. - -At Knocktopher, in the county of Kilkenny, on December 14th, a chief -constable, with a strong party of police, went out to protect a -process server in the execution of his legal duty, in serving the -usual process for refused tithe. There were neither military nor -yeomanry. The population prepared for murder. The sides of the road -and the adjacent fields were covered with people armed with bludgeons, -scythes, pitchforks, and other deadly weapons. They ferociously -demanded that the process server should be delivered up to them. The -police having refused, the crowd closed upon them in a narrow lane, -overpowered them, and murdered twelve or thirteen of them, besides -dangerously wounding several of the party. - -Among the killed was the captain of the police. The accounts were that -his son, about ten years old, who accompanied his father, riding on a -pony, was inhumanly butchered. The pony which the child rode was -stabbed to death. Five of the police, who showed some symptoms of -life, after being barbarously beaten with bludgeons, as they lay -insensible on the ground, had their brains knocked out by a peasant's -son, not more than twelve or fourteen years old, who was armed with a -scythe. - -[Illustration: Bonnets.] - -The country people, after satiating their vengeance on the bleeding -bodies of the murdered police, by kicking and stabbing them, retired -to their homes and usual occupations, with as much indifference as if -they had just performed some meritorious deed. - -[Illustration: Bonnets.] - -On preceding page are given illustrations of a bonnet, hat, turban, -and caps, as worn during the year, and, here, the different styles of -hair-dressing fashionable in 1830-31. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -1832. - - Commissions at Bristol and Nottingham--Executions--Employment of - children in factories--Cholera in London--Day of fast and - humiliation--Riot in Finsbury--Cholera riot at Paisley--A small - one in London--Decrease of cholera--Number of deaths--Cholera in - Ireland--A charm against it--Its effect on rooks--The police, - City and Metropolitan. - - -The excesses at Bristol could not, possibly, be passed over, and a -Commission, consisting of the Lord Chief Justice and two judges, met -on January 2nd, to try the rioters. Various sentences of -transportation and imprisonment were passed, and four men were hanged -on January 27th. They were Christopher Davis, convicted of having -encouraged the mob to commit acts of plunder and desolation; William -Clarke, for having assisted in destroying the Gaol and Bridewell; and -Joseph Kayes and Thomas Gregory, for having formed part of a mob that -pillaged and burnt two dwelling-houses. Davis had retired from his -business, which was that of a carrier, and in which he had amassed -about £2000. Clarke, who had connections possessing considerable -property, was a sawyer; the other two were common labourers. Colonel -Brereton was court martialed for firing on the rioters, which so -preyed upon his mind, that he shot himself on January 14th, during his -trial. - -Another Commission sat at Nottingham to try the rioters there, and -three men were hanged. - -Parliament met on December 6, 1831, and, of course, the principal -business of the Session was the Reform Bill. But there were social as -well as Parliamentary reforms urgently needed, one of which was the -employment of children in factories, which had been much abused. -Petitions poured in, in favour of shorter working hours for them, and -other ameliorations of their condition. Richard Oastler, popularly -known as "The Factory King," a staunch Tory and Churchman, and one of -the most popular political leaders among the working-men in the West -Riding of Yorkshire, championed their cause; and I will give an -extract from a speech of his at a meeting held at Huddersfield, to -petition Parliament on their behalf. Said he-- - - "Take, then, a little captive, and I will not picture fiction to - you, but I will tell you what I have seen. Take a little captive - six years old; she shall rise from her bed at four o'clock in the - morning, of a cold winter's day; but, before that, she wakes, - perhaps half a dozen times, and says, 'Father, is it time? - Father, is it time?' And, at last, when she gets up, and puts her - little bits of rags upon her weary limbs--weary with the last - day's work--she trudges onward, through rain and snow, to the - mill, perhaps two miles, or, at least, one mile; and there, for - thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, or even eighteen - hours, she is obliged to work, with only thirty minutes interval. - (Shame.) The girl I am speaking of died; but she dragged on that - dreadful existence for several years. Homewards again at night - she would go, when she was able; but, many a time she hid herself - in the wool at the mill, as she had not strength to go. (Hear.) - But this is not an isolated case. I wish it were." - -A correspondent writing to the _Times_, March 16, says-- - - "The children are frequently reduced to such insensibility, as - not to know when they have finished their cardings, but their - hands and feet have continued to perform the evolutions of their - work. Many times, of an evening, when I have passed on from child - to child in a woollen mill, each has turned up its little face, - and anxiously inquired, 'What o'clock is't?' I have answered, - 'Seven.' 'Seven?' was the rejoinder, 'Why, it's three hours to - ten, isn't it? We moan't gee up till ten and past.' This, - delivered in a melancholy tone, has made me thus reflect as I - returned home: 'I know that you must remain at work till past - ten. I know, also, that you are called out of bed at five in the - morning, and although it may be eleven at night before you reach - home, you must again leave your beds at five; and this, too, - every morning in the year, Sundays excepted. Many of you will - have to grope about in the dark for the greasy rags which - scarcely cover you. No matter, you must face all weathers. Though - the roads be choked with snow, and the frost would make the - strongest shiver, let the winds roar, or the rain fall, still - there must be no delay. At five every morning you must leave your - humble homes, and, lamentable to reflect, ye 'moan't gee up till - ten and past.'" - -On the second reading of the "Factories Regulation Bill," March 16th, -Mr. Sadler, in the course of a very long speech, made the following -statement:-- - - "The following were the hours of labour imposed upon the children - and young persons employed in a certain establishment last - summer. Monday morning, commence work at six o'clock; at nine, - half an hour for breakfast; begin again at half-past nine, and - work till twelve. Dinner, one hour; work from one till half-past - four. Drinking (afternoon meal), half an hour; work from five to - eight; rest, half an hour; work from half-past eight till twelve - (midnight); an hour's rest. One in the morning till five, work; - half an hour's rest; half-past five till nine; breakfast; - half-past nine till twelve. Dinner; work from one till half-past - four. Again from five till nine on the Tuesday evening, when the - labour concluded, and the gang of adult and infant slaves were - dismissed for the night, after having toiled thirty-nine hours - with nine intervals for refreshment (but none for bed), amounting - to six hours only, in the whole. Wednesday and Thursday, day work - only. On Friday morning till Saturday night, the same labour - repeated, with the same intermissions as endured on Monday, - Monday night, and Tuesday; only the labour of the last day closed - at five, when the poor wretches were dismissed. The ensuing day, - Sunday, must, under such circumstances, be a day of stupor, to - rouse the children from which would often only be to continue - their physical sufferings, without the possibility of - compensating them with any moral good." - -But no definite action was taken in the matter until the following -year, when I shall have occasion to again allude to it. - -In the middle of February the cholera made its appearance in London, -in the parish of St. Anne's, Limehouse. On the 12th, a woman, named -Fergusson, was attacked by the disease and conveyed to the workhouse. -She died in eight hours. On the same day another woman and her -daughter died in the same place. - -Greville tells us something about its commencement, under date -February 14th-- - - "In the meantime the cholera has made its appearance in London, - at Rotherhithe, Limehouse, and in a ship off Greenwich. In all, - seven cases. These are amongst the lowest and most wretched - classes, chiefly Irish; and a more lamentable exhibition of human - misery than that given by the medical men who called at the - Council Office yesterday I never heard. They are in the most - abject state of poverty, without beds to lie upon. The men live - by casual labour, are employed by the hour, and often get no more - than four or five hours' employment in the course of the week. - They are huddled and crowded together by families in the same - room, not as permanent lodgers, but procuring a temporary - shelter; in short, in the most abject state of physical privation - and moral degradation that can be imagined. On Saturday we had an - account of one or more cases. We sent, instantly, down to inspect - the district and organize a Board of Health. A meeting was - convened, and promises given that all things needful should be - done; but, as they met at a public-house, they all got drunk and - did nothing. We have sent down members of the Board of Health to - make preparations and organize Boards; but, if the disease really - spreads, no human power can arrest its progress through such an - Augæan stable." - -And no doubt but that, according to their lights, at that time, they -did all they could to prevent its spread, but sanitary science was in -its infancy--water and food were not analyzed as now. Chemistry and -medicine were very far behind the present date, and as to "bacilli," -they were never dreamt of. - -But they could set apart a day for a "general fast and humiliation"-- - - "For obtaining pardon for our sins, and averting the heavy - judgments which our manifold provocations have most justly - deserved; and, particularly, for beseeching God to remove from us - that grievous disease with which several places in the kingdom - are at this time visited." - -And they chose Wednesday, March 21st. - -Different people take different views as to the observance of a fast -day. Here and in Scotland, it means a day's holiday and excursion by -rail or boat. On this occasion the Political Union of the Working -Classes invited them to assemble in Finsbury Square, where they would -celebrate the fast day with a meal of bread and meat, which would be -provided for them, after which they would perambulate the metropolis -in procession. This attracted the lower classes and the poorer -labouring men, many of whom were in the greatest possible distress and -destitution, and, in spite of a warning proclamation from the Home -Secretary, some twelve thousand or fourteen thousand assembled in the -square by eleven o'clock, and before two there must have been -twenty-five thousand present. But none of the Trades' Unionists had -made their appearance, nor had any of the promised cartloads of -provisions. The mob amused themselves by hooting and pelting the -police with stones and other missiles, and, as there could not have -been less than one thousand to one thousand five hundred police in the -square, besides heavy reinforcements contingent, Commissioner Mayne -gave orders for the square to be cleared, which was soon done, though -not without injury to police and populace. Some abortive attempts at -processions were made, but they were soon dispersed by the police. - -All kinds of rumours were abroad among the ignorant poor with regard -to the medical profession and cholera patients. It was said that they -poisoned them or used their bodies for dissection; and on this latter -count there was a serious riot at Paisley, on March 24th. It came -about in this way. As a preparation for the approach of cholera, a new -burial ground had been laid out at Paisley, in which were interred all -of the lowest class who died of that disease. Some boys having -discovered two small shovels and a cord with a hook at its end -concealed beneath a small bridge leading from a country road near the -new burial ground, took them to the town and exhibited them there. - -The public mind was so excited by the supposition that those dying of -cholera were being transferred from their graves to the -dissecting-table, that a crowd collected and commenced opening the -graves, in one of the first of which an empty coffin was found. It -must be recollected that at that time "resurrectionism," or -"body-snatching," was in full vogue, to provide subjects for the -dissecting room; that Burke had been hanged at Edinburgh in 1829, and -Bishop at London in 1831, for having committed murder with this -object. - -The crowd rapidly increased, and, as more graves were opened, several -were found untenanted. This excited the mob, who began by demolishing -the cemetery fence. The magistrates assembled for the preservation of -the public peace, and it was instantly agreed that a reward of £50 -should be offered for the discovery of the offenders. - -This had scarcely been resolved on before the crowd arrived in the -town, bearing an empty coffin. Notwithstanding the efforts of the -magistrates, they proceeded through the town, broke the windows of all -the surgeons' houses and shops, those of the hospital, and then -demolished the cholera hearse, and, as far as possible, everything -connected with the establishment. The first time the crowd (which -consisted mainly of lads and Irishmen) visited the hospital, they were -persuaded to desist from their work of destruction; but, after taking -a turn through the town, they came back, broke the windows, forced -open the gate, and did other mischief. A patient in the hospital was -struck on the head with a stone, and had it slightly cut. He called -for protection against such treatment, and expired shortly afterwards. -Another patient, who had recovered, and who was to have been dismissed -from the hospital that day, relapsed. - -There was, also, a small cholera riot in London, as we read in the -_Times_, March 31st-- - - "Yesterday afternoon, between two and three o'clock, the - neighbourhood of Barratt's Court, Edward Street, Portman Square, - was thrown into a state of violent uproar and confusion, in - consequence of the messengers of the Marylebone Board of Health - attempting to move to the cholera hospital in Nutford Place, - Edgware Road, an Irishman, named John Heron, who was suddenly - taken ill on Thursday (March 29th), and who was alleged to have - been attacked with cholera. The messengers brought with them the - usual sedan chair to carry away the patient, and were attended by - five of the police force of the D division, to prevent any - interruption being offered them in taking the man away. They had - no sooner arrived opposite the house, than they were assailed - with groans, hisses, and yells of a most discordant character, - from a number of Heron's countrymen, who expressed their - determination not to allow him to be removed out of his own - apartment. - - "The messengers, however, succeeded, after much difficulty, and - with the assistance of the police, who were compelled to use - their staves, in placing the man in the chair, and had proceeded - with him but a few yards, when a simultaneous rush of the Irish, - who had by this time assembled in the court to the number of - between five and six hundred, was made, and in an instant the - policemen were hemmed in by the crowd, and had their staves - wrested from them. A scene of the utmost confusion and disorder - then ensued; the sick man was dragged out of the chair, and - pulled about in a most violent and shameful manner; the chair was - broken to pieces, and, after much contention and disturbance, the - man was carried back to his lodging, amidst the shouts of the - victorious party, who declared they would resist any attempt that - might be made to remove him. The disturbance assumed such a - serious appearance at one time, that most of the neighbours - closed their shops for the remainder of the afternoon. The whole - of the neighbourhood remained in a state of excessive tumult - during the rest of the evening. The necessary measures were - afterwards taken by the police to preserve tranquillity." - -At the beginning of April, the cholera in London began to subside, -and, owing to the diminished number of cases, the Treasury, on April -6th, issued an order, reducing the number of the Medical Board. -Raikes, in his journal, says: "April 7.--From the daily reports, -cholera seems greatly subsiding; up to last night the grand total of -cases, since the commencement, are 7435, and deaths 2489." But it -continued the whole year, and the death returns for the whole kingdom, -from this cause, on December 3rd, were 95. The total deaths from -cholera in 1831-32, are put down as 59,547. - -Ireland did not escape the visitation. On the contrary, the disease -there was very severe, and the _Times_ of June 16th records the -following curious charm against it:-- - - "Dublin, June 5th.--These three days past the country has been in - an extraordinary state of excitement. Messengers are running and - riding through the counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, West - Meath, Dublin, King and Queen's County, Meath, Wexford, and - Longford, leaving a small piece of turf (peat fuel), at every - cabin, with the following exhortation: 'The plague has broken - out, take this, and while it burns, offer up seven paters, three - aves, and a credo, in the name of God and the holy St. John, that - the plague may be stopped!' The messenger lays each householder - under an 'obligation,' as it is called, to kindle his piece of - turf, set fire to seven other pieces, quench them, and run - through the country to seven other houses, wherein no turf has - yet been left, and to repeat the same exhortation, under a - penalty of falling a victim to the cholera himself! Men, women, - and children are seen scouring the country in every direction, - with this charmed turf, each endeavouring to be foremost in - finding unserved houses. One man, yesterday, in the Bog of Allen, - had to run thirty miles ere he could fulfil his task. - - "The stories of its origin are various, but all agree that one - piece of turf was blessed by a priest, and thus sent through the - peasantry, where it multiplied itself and its powers of agitation - sevenfold in every new hand. Nothing like it has been heard of - since the time of the clan-gatherings. The police are on the - alert, and messengers have been arrested from Kilkenny, where the - blessed turf arrived at noon on Monday, to this city, where it - came pouring in last night. The authorities are suspicious of - Whitefeet conspiracy and secret intelligence, but nothing yet has - transpired to warrant this view of the affair. The higher classes - receive the blessed turf, and laugh at the thing as a hoax on the - peasantry, without troubling themselves in transmitting it - further; but the poorer householders are one and all in motion to - avert the cholera and the curse of disobedience attaching to - neglect. - - "No one knows where the holy fire was first kindled. There are - various accounts. It is said that it was first sent from - Kilmayne, from Blessington, from New Ross and from Roscrea; that - lightning consumed houses in New Ross, and that the holy turf was - first kindled at its fire, etc.; but it is certain that the whole - of the central counties of Ireland are thrown into a singular - state of agitation. Yesterday, along the whole line of the grand - canal from Dublin to Shannon harbour, people might be seen - running. The captain of one of the packet boats that arrived in - the city last night saw a turf-cutter running along the bank in - the Bog of Allen to whom he owed some money for fuel. He called - to him, 'Paddy, get in, and I'll pay you now.'--'I can't,' - replied Paddy, still running, 'I've to serve seven houses yet - with the holy turf, and I'd rather lose the money than earn the - cholera.' The priests, in whose parishes this wildfire has - spread, confess themselves as ignorant of its origin as the - peasantry are." - -If we are to credit the _Dublin Morning Register_, the cholera had a -peculiar effect upon rooks-- - - "In the demesne of the Marquis of Sligo, near Westport House, - there is one of the largest rookeries in the west of Ireland. On - the first, or second day of the appearance of cholera in this - place, I was astonished to observe that all the rooks had - disappeared; and, for three weeks, during which the disease raged - violently, these noisy tenants of the trees completely deserted - their lofty habitations. In the meantime, the Revenue police - found immense numbers of them lying dead upon the shore near - Erris, about ten miles distant. Upon the decline of the malady, - within the last few days, several of the old birds have again - appeared in the neighbourhood of the rookery, but some of them - seemed unable, through exhaustion, to reach their nests. The - number of birds now in the rookery is not a sixth of what it had - been three months ago." - -The "New Police" worked so well, that the City, who have always had -the right of keeping their own watch and ward, followed their example. -We read in the _Times_ of March 22nd-- - - "The race of street keepers, with their gold-laced coats and - hats, are about to be extinguished in their last stronghold--the - City. They are to be superseded by a new police force, which is - to patrol the streets by day only, and which is to be paid and - regulated on the model of the county police. A hundred men have - been chosen and measured for their suits of blue." - -And again, March 31st-- - - "The new City policemen, a hundred in number, will commence their - duties on Monday next (April 2nd). The Police Committee of - Aldermen will gratuitously perform the functions of - Commissioners, but there is to be a chief officer to direct the - whole system. Mr. Cope, the Marshal, has been appointed to this - duty with the title of Superintendent. Mr. Cowlan is named the - second, or rather, deputy Superintendent. Martin and Maclean, two - of the City Officers are appointed Inspectors. The scale of wages - which has been fixed in the county will be adopted in the City; - but the duty will be more severe, as the men will be on their - beats the whole day." - -This was the humble beginning of that force, which now comprises--1 -commissioner, 1 assistant ditto, 1 superintendent, 1 ditto detective -department, 3 chief inspectors, 15 district ditto, 22 station ditto, -12 detective ditto, 72 sergeants, 7 detective ditto, and 795 -constables; also 86 constables on private service duty. - -We can judge of the work performed by the "New Police" from January 1, -1831, to January 1832, from the Official Report. They apprehended no -less than 72,824 persons on different charges, viz. 45,907 males, and -26,917 females. Out of this number 2955 were committed for trial; -21,843 were summarily convicted before the magistrates; 24,239 were -discharged by the magistrates; and 23,787 drunken characters were -discharged by the superintendents of police, at the station-house, -after they became sober. The number of persons charged before the -magistrates for being drunk were 7566; of this number, 3187 were -discharged, and 4379 fined five shillings; the numbers fined being, -respectively, 3185 males, and 1194 females. From the above returns it -seems that the police apprehended nearly 200 a day. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -1832. - - Reform Bill passes the Commons--Scotch boys and the Reform - Bill--Proposed increase of the peerage--Passed in the Lords--"The - Marylebone or Tory Hunt"--The Duke of Wellington mobbed--The King - stoned--The Queen hissed--Archbishop of Canterbury stoned. - - -Of course, the great topic of interest and conversation for the early -part of the year was the Reform Bill, the third reading of which was -passed on March 23rd by a majority of 116. What the Lords would do was -then all the talk. There were to be new peers created, whose numbers -would carry the Bill, or the Lords were to be abolished. We are used -to this cry, and we know what little sympathy it met with among the -people of Great Britain, but I doubt whether we can show such a -humorous anecdote of party feeling as that given by the _Scotsman_, -quoted by the _Times_ of March 2nd-- - - "THE HOUSE OF LORDS ROUTED. - - "On Saturday last, the Town-green pond at Dunfermline teemed with - _toads_, and, apparently, under extraordinary excitation. A - number of boys stood looking on intensely for some time, when one - of them exclaimed, 'It's the House of Lords debatin' the Reform - Bill.' In an instant, 'Demolish,' was the universal and - simultaneous cry. Caps and bonnets were filled with stones. 'Now - for Wellington!' 'Here's at you, Londonderry!' 'Take that, - Buckingham!' 'The bishops, the bishops!' shouted a little urchin. - The 'hurra' became universal, and terrible was the work of death. - The above incident 'points a moral,' if it does not 'adorn a - tale.'" - -Anent the creation of new peers, there is an amusing skit in verse. - - "FROM THE HON. HENRY ---- TO LADY EMMA ----. - "Paris, _March 30_. - - "You bid me explain, my dear angry Ma'amselle, - How I came thus to bolt, without saying farewell; - And the truth is,--as truth you _will_ have, my sweet railer,-- - There are two worthy persons I always feel loth - To take leave of at starting, my mistress and tailor,-- - As, somehow, one always has _scenes_ with them both: - The Snip in ill-humour, the Syren in tears, - She calling on Heaven, and he on th' attorney,-- - Till, sometimes, in short, 'twixt his duns and his dears, - A young gentleman risks being stopp'd on his journey. - - "But to come to the point:--though you think, I dare say - That 'tis debtor or Cholera drives me away, - 'Pon honour you're wrong; such a mere bagatelle - As a pestilence, nobody, nowadays, fears; - The fact is, my love, I'm thus bolting, pell-mell, - To get out of the way of these horrid new Peers; - This deluge of coronets, frightful to think of, - Which England is now, for her sins, on the brink of;-- - This coinage of _nobles_, coined, all of them, badly, - And sure to bring counts to a _dis_count most sadly. - - "Only think, to have Lords overrunning the nation, - As plenty as frogs in a Dutch inundation; - No shelter from Barons, from Earls no protection, - And tadpole young Lords, too, in every direction,-- - Things created in haste, just to make a Court list of, - Two legs and a coronet, all they consist of! - The prospect's quite frightful, and what Sir George R--e - (My particular friend) says, is perfectly true, - That so dire the alternative, nobody knows, - 'Twixt the Peers and the Pestilence, what he's to do; - And Sir George even doubts,--could he choose his disorder,-- - 'Twixt coffin and coronet, _which_ he would order." - -In the House of Lords, on May 7th, Lord Lyndhurst moved the -postponement of the disenfranchising clause, which was carried, -against the Government by a majority of thirty-five. Next day, Earl -Grey and the Ministry resigned. The mob were enraged, and spoke evilly -of the King and Queen. The former applied in vain to the Tory party to -make a Government, but finding that useless, he was reduced to the -humiliating necessity of renewing his intercourse with his former -ministers (who returned to power), and had to swallow the leek as to -the creation of new peers. He had no objection to raising to the -peerage eldest sons of peers, or of rehabilitating dormant peerages, -but he had a wholesome horror of creating an enormous quantity of -peers simply to coerce the House of Lords and pass a measure to which -they were opposed. Good sense, however, prevailed: the peers did what -they always have done, bowed to overwhelming popular opinion--amended -the Bill somewhat--and on the 4th of June the Bill was read a third -time in the House of Lords, and passed, one hundred and six peers -voting for it, and twenty-two against it. The amendments introduced -by the peers were agreed to on the following day by the House of -Commons, without any discussion regarding their merits, though not -without much angry remark in attack and defence of the conduct of -ministers in the late events. On the 7th of June, the Royal Assent was -given by commission, and the great bugbear of King William's reign was -laid at rest. - -Such a consummation was undoubtedly due to the conduct of the Duke of -Wellington and Sir Robert Peel at this crisis; and, indeed, that this -was the general feeling, is shown by the accompanying satirical print -by H. B., in which we see these two statesmen using their best -endeavours to keep Sir George Grey firm in his very insecure position. -(_See next page._) - -The party passions of the mob ran very high both before and after the -passing of the Bill, and led to some excesses, two or three examples -of which are worth recording. The _Times_, May 16th-- - - "THE MARYLEBONE, OR TORY HUNT. - - "During the proceedings of the great Reform meeting of the - parishes of St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, and Paddington, rather a - ludicrous incident (as it turned out) occurred, which may, - properly enough, be denominated as above. In the immediate - vicinity of the spot on which the immense assemblage congregated, - some Tory lordlings had the temerity to make their appearance on - horseback, and, among the number, was recognized the - heir-apparent of that pink of Toryism, the Earl of Mansfield; no - sooner was this made known, than a thousand voices besieged the - affrighted lordlings' ears; they put spurs to beast, and - endeavoured to escape, but in vain; the Marylebonians gave - chase, but, instead of the cry "So, ho!" yells, groans, and even - missiles were let fly. It was, really, a fine hunt--over hedge, - over ditch and bog; and, after a fine run of two miles, the - lordlings were surrounded, and, fortunately for them, their cries - for mercy were granted, and they were allowed to scamper off, - after such a chastisement as they will never forget." - -[Illustration: Reform.] - -But, can any sane person imagine the mob, after the Bill had passed, -thanks to the efforts of the Duke of Wellington, attacking the hero -of Waterloo, on the anniversary of that victory? Yet so it was. On the -18th of June he had occasion to visit the Mint, and a crowd of people -collected on Tower Hill to see him return. On making his appearance at -the gate, he was loudly hissed and hooted by the crowd, which -increased every moment, until it amounted to several hundred persons. -Riding along the Minories surrounded by his persecutors, he was met by -Mr. Ballantine, one of the Thames police magistrates, who asked him if -he could render him any assistance. His Grace replied in the negative, -saying that he did not mind what was going on. - -Nothing particular occurred, until the Duke reached the middle of -Fenchurch Street, when a man rushed forward from the crowd and, -catching hold of the reins of the horse's bridle with one hand, -endeavoured to dismount its rider with the other, and would have -succeeded, had it not been for the spirited conduct of the Duke's -groom, who came up at the time. The mob now was very great; but by the -exertions of the police his Grace was escorted through it and along -Cheapside without any personal injury. In Holborn, however, the mob, -not satisfied with words, began to throw stones and filth. The Duke -then rode to the chambers of Sir Charles Wetherell, in Stone -Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, the mob still following. - -What occurred afterwards, let Sir Edw. Sugden, afterwards Lord St. -Leonard's, tell in his own words[11]-- - -[Footnote 11: Glegg's "Life of Wellington," edit. 1864, p. 375.] - - "On the 18th of June our Equity Courts were not sitting. I was, - therefore, in chambers; and, as I sat working near the window on - the ground floor, I was startled by three horsemen passing - towards Stone Buildings, with a mob at their heels, shouting, - hooting, and hissing. I sent my clerk to see what was the matter, - and, upon his return, finding that the Duke of Wellington was the - object of displeasure, I sent the clerk, with some others, round - to the men's chambers, to beg them to come at once to protect the - Duke. I found the Duke, with Lord Granville Somerset, and Lord - Eliot, had been to the Tower on official business, and were then - at the Chambers, in Stone Buildings, of Mr. Maule, the Solicitor - to the Treasury, with whom the Duke had an appointment. In making - my way to Mr. Maule's, I found a considerable mob in Stone - Buildings and its approaches, and their conduct was most violent. - - "When I joined the Duke, we considered what was the best mode of - protecting him and his companions. He would not listen to any - mode of retreat by which he might avoid the mob. I assured him - that the Lincoln's Inn men would effectually prevent any - violence, and he determined to get on horseback again, and to - ride through the streets. I then went downstairs, and ordered the - small gate leading to Portugal Street to be shut and guarded, so - as to prevent the people getting round that way to interrupt us - when we went through the great gates into Carey Street; and I - ordered those gates to be shut as soon as the Duke had passed. I - addressed a few words to the gentlemen, who had assembled in - considerable numbers, and requested them to occupy the stone - steps which the Duke would have to descend, in order to reach his - horse. This they did, with great heartiness, and they exhibited, - I may say, a fierce determination to defend the Duke against all - comers. A butcher was bawling lustily against the Duke, when a - young gentleman, a solicitor, seized him by the collar with one - hand, and knocked him down with the other, and the mob seemed - rather amused at it. The Duke, upon my return upstairs, asked how - he was to find his way out of the Inn. I told him that I would - walk before him. He would allow no one to hold or touch his horse - whilst he mounted. He was pale, with a severe countenance, and - immovable in his saddle, and looked straight before him, and so - continued whilst I was with him. Lords Granville Somerset and - Eliot rode on each side of him, and, of course, his groom behind. - I walked in front, and, shortly, a brother barrister came up, and - asked me if he might walk with me. I gladly accepted his arm, and - we moved on, the mob, all the time, being in a state of fury. - When we reached Lincoln's Inn Fields, a policeman made his - appearance, and, drawing his staff, prepared for an onslaught. I - called to him, and told him that the Duke's progress was under my - directions, and that I desired he would put up his truncheon and - keep himself quiet until I called upon him to act, and that he - would communicate this order to the other policemen, as they came - up. This kept them perfectly quiet. As we proceeded, the noise of - the mob attracted the workmen in the shops and manufactories, - particularly in Long Acre, where the upper windows were quickly - opened by workmen, who, with their paper caps on, rushed to join - the people; but nowhere was there any personal violence offered - to the Duke, and the respectable portions of the crowd would - promptly have crushed any attempt at violence. - - "I had walked from the West End to my chambers that morning, and - I recollected that there was an excavation at the west end of - Long Acre, and a large mass of paving, and other stones collected - there. I ordered several of the police to go there, in advance, - quietly, and occupy the ground, so as to prevent any one from - making use of the stones. This they did; but, scandalous as the - conduct of the mob was, I must do them the justice to say that - they showed no disposition to get at the stones. When we reached - the West End streets, the people tailed off a good deal. - - "As the Duke passed the United Service Club, he maintained his - rigid posture, and cast no glance that way, whilst a few men who - had rushed out of the club upon hearing the noise, looked on with - wonder. Nothing more occurred; and, when we got opposite to the - clock of St. James's palace, I, for the first time, turned round, - and, there being only a few stragglers left, the Duke and his - companions shook hands with me, and thanked me; and, putting - their horses into a trot, reached Apsley House without further - annoyance." - -More stone-throwing--this time at the King! This happened next day, -June 19th, when the King was at Ascot races. He was looking out of a -window in the royal stand, when two stones were thrown from the midst -of the crowd below, one of which struck his Majesty severely on the -forehead, but his hat saved him from any injury. The king immediately -stood up, and was received with the loudest cheers. The culprit turned -out to be a discharged Greenwich pensioner, who took this way of -making his grievances known. It is not worth while to trace what -became of him, but I know that his punishment was light. - -But the King was not then popular, and as to the Queen, she was very -much disliked. It was currently said that she exercised too much -influence over the weak monarch, and that her influence was not for -people's good. Very many skits are in existence on the subject, as -well as satirical prints representing her wearing the regal breeches, -etc. The following extract from the _Times_ of June 27th, relative to -a review held in Hyde Park on the previous day, will show the popular -feeling at the time:-- - - "When the King and Queen entered the Park, the people, who had - lined both sides of the road, received them in profound silence. - As they proceeded on their route, a few bystanders, here and - there, took off their hats and cheered, but they never amounted - to more than a dozen at any one time. The applause of these - persons was sometimes opposed by a hiss from others, but the - great mass of the people remained entirely passive.... Shortly - before two o'clock, their Majesties quitted the ground. The - people had, by this time, assembled in great numbers along the - road. His Majesty was received with mingled applause and - disapprobation; but the Queen, who was exposed to the public - gaze, her carriage having been thrown open since her arrival, was - assailed with loud yells. In this way, the Royal party proceeded - through Hyde Park, and down Constitution Hill, where the - disapprobation of the mob was more unequivocally expressed, and - continued, without a single attempt, as far as we could perceive, - to turn the current of feeling, until their Majesties entered the - gardens of St. James's Palace, amidst a shout of the most - discordant sounds." - -_Rien n'est sacré pour un sapeur._ Not even the Archbishop of -Canterbury in his own cathedral town! On August 7th, his Grace drove -into Canterbury to hold a primary visitation of the diocese, and, as -usual, the Corporation received him at the Guildhall; but, no sooner -had his carriage appeared in sight, than the most deafening noises -rent the air; and, when he arrived at the Guildhall, the groans and -hisses were tremendous. After dessert, his carriage was ready and his -Grace stepped in, evidently much alarmed. The hisses and groans were -now renewed, and missiles of every description hurled at the -carriage--hats, caps, pieces of brickbat, cabbage-stalks, indeed, -everything the ruffians could collect. To make matters worse, the -postillion missed his way, and had to return, thus running the -gauntlet a second time. When his Grace entered the precincts of the -cathedral, the large gates were instantly closed; but several hundred -persons had previously gained admission, and ranged themselves within -the walls of the deanery, where hisses and groans prevailed. His Grace -received no injury, although one of the carriage windows was broken. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -1832. - - The first reformed Parliament--Steam communication with - India--State of Ireland--Lawless behaviour--Malversation of - justice--O'Connell and the Trades' Political Union--Crime in - Ireland. - - -On August 16th the King in person prorogued Parliament, and on -December 3rd it was dissolved, by proclamation, and the country was -plunged into all the turmoil of a General Election. This was to be the -first reformed Parliament, and all sorts of evils arising from its -democratic tendencies were prophesied. But it turned out better than -was expected. It was reserved to our later days for the title of -Member of Parliament to be turned almost into a byword and reproach; -and some of the persons who sat in the parliament of 1892-5 would not -have been tolerated, nor could their speeches and remarks have been -delivered. True, there was not a prize-fighter in that parliament, as -there was in the first reformed one, but John Gully, the member for -Pontefract, was respectable after his kind. From a butcher boy he -became a pugilist, and William IV., as Duke of Clarence, witnessed his -first fight, in 1805, with the "Game Chicken." Then he turned a -publican, and retired from the ring in 1808. He then became a betting -man and owner of racehorses, was a temporary royal page at the -coronation of George IV., made a lot of money in his profession, -bought Ackworth Park, near Pontefract, which little pocket borough he -sat for from December 10, 1832 to July 17, 1837. - -Worthy of note is it that an iron steam vessel, built for the East -India Company, and intended to be employed as a towing vessel on the -Ganges, was taken on a trial trip, on October 13th, down the Thames, -having the chairman and several members of the court of directors of -the Hon. East India Company on board. This, certainly, was in advance -of the times, and one can scarcely believe that the same body of men -could sanction the following letter, within a month afterwards:-- - - "East India House, November 8th. - - SIR, - - I have laid before the Court of Directors of the East India - Company your letter of the 25th October, on the subject of - communication by means of steam vessels between England and - India, by the Mediterranean and the Red Sea; and, in reply, I am - commanded to inform you that the Court, after a long and careful - consideration of the subject, have been convinced that no - advantage commensurate with the expense, as far as past - experiments have shown, can arise from the establishment of steam - packets on that line." - -Ireland had not improved during the last twelve months; resistance to -the payment of tithes had become open and systematic, and the question -of the Repeal of the Union was openly advocated. Notices were -scattered all over the country bidding the people to refrain from -paying tithes, and threatening the police, should they interfere, with -a similar fate to their brethren at Knocktopher, which has already -been described. Says the _Annual Register_-- - - "Nor were these merely empty denunciations. The house and the - barn-yard of the tithepayer were reduced to ashes; his cattle - were houghed, or scattered all over the country; or, as happened - in the County of Carlow, hunted over precipices. There was no - mode of destroying property which ingenuity could invent, or - reckless daring perpetrate, but was called into exercise. - Scarcely a week elapsed which did not announce the cold-blooded - murder of a proctor, or a process server, or a constable, or of - some poor countryman who had thought himself bound to obey the - law, and to pay his debts. - - "An archdeacon in the neighbourhood of Cashel was in treaty with - his parishioners for a commutation of his tithes. They could not - agree on the yearly sum which he ought to receive. They - surrounded him in sight of his own house, in broad daylight, and - beat his head to pieces with stones. Several persons were - ploughing in the field in which he was murdered, but either would - not or dared not interfere. Whoever connected himself, in any - manner of way, with the collection of tithe, had not one single - hour's security for his property or his life. In the beginning of - February the Irish Government found it necessary to have recourse - to the "Peace Preservation Act," and proclaim certain baronies in - the County of Tipperary to be in a state of disturbance. - - "But a proclamation imposed no check on the outrages of men who - now deserved, from the openness of their attacks, the name of - insurgents. In the County of Westmeath, a body of two hundred of - them assaulted and attempted to disarm a sergeant's guard, and a - party of police stationed within a mile of a considerable town. - In the County of Donegal, they marched about in military array, - armed with guns, scythes, and pikes, compelling landlords to - sign obligations to reduce their rents, and to pay no tithe. In - Kilkenny, their deeds were even still more atrocious. They not - only made domiciliary visits to compel the surrender of arms, but - accompanied their lawlessness with unrelenting personal violence, - and they perpetrated these enormities in the open face of day. A - large body divided itself into smaller detachments. The latter - took different directions to search the houses of farmers and - proprietors; and, when their work was finished, they again - united, at the sound of their horn, to renew their labours on the - following day. - - "In one instance they cruelly abused a farmer and his wife, - because they would not give up their daughter. They then searched - the house, found the young woman, who had concealed herself, and - carried her off. A farm had been standing unoccupied because, on - account of some unpopularity attached to its owner, no tenant - would venture to take it. A tenant at last had entered upon it; a - new house was built for him. He was immediately visited by these - Irish legislators, and compelled, on pain of death, to give up - his farm and his house. A farmer having refused to surrender a - pair of pistols to a body of these wretches, they dragged him to - the hearth, raked down the fire upon his feet, and continued this - torture until their object was accomplished. - - "An end was put, not merely to the payment of tithe, but to the - payment of rent. A tenant ejected for non-payment was sure to - have his revenge. If a new tenant entered, he had only to expect - that his property would be committed to the flames, or he himself - shot. The terror which was thus universally propagated went far - to secure immunity to the offenders. To be connected with any - attempt to execute the law against murderers, incendiaries, or - robbers, was itself a high crime. To betray any activity in - preserving order, was to become a marked man; to become a marked - man was to be made the victim of open violence or hidden - assassination. - - "The parties accused of the murder of a process server and a - captain of police, at the end of the preceding year, were brought - to trial at the Kilkenny Assizes in March. But, after the assizes - began, the Attorney-General found it necessary to delay the - trials. He stated that there was such an extensive combination - throughout the country to resist the payment of tithes, and to - protect all who might be implicated, that the ends of justice - could not be attained. A juror had objected to serve on the - ground that, if he gave a verdict 'against the people,' his life - and property would be in danger. The witnesses, too, were either - under the same intimidation, or were, themselves, members of the - illegal combinations.... - - "The Government at length seemed to think it time to try whether - the law could not reach the tumultuary assemblies of the - anti-tithe men and the ringleaders who collected them. The - Vice-Lieutenant of the county of Kilkenny was dismissed from his - office. A circular was addressed to the magistracy by the Irish - Government, directing them to disperse all meetings collected in - such numbers as to produce alarm and endanger the public peace, - or distinguished by banners, inscriptions, or emblems which - tended to disturbance, or throw contumely on the law. O'Connell - denounced this circular as illegal, and expressed his hope that a - reformed Parliament would not hesitate to receive an impeachment - of the Irish Government founded upon it; but still he gave his - advice that it should be obeyed. In consequence of these - instructions, various large meetings were dispersed by the - military, headed by a magistrate; but, where the meeting was - strictly parochial, and quietly gone about, no opposition was - offered to their petitioning against tithe and church cess. - - "At the same time, a number of those persons of the better class, - who had played the principal part at meetings where a combined - scheme of disobedience was preached up, were arrested and held to - bail, on a charge of misdemeanour. Among them were two of - O'Connell's familiars, the president and vice-president of the - Trades' Political Union. The Grand Jury found true bills against - them, on the 4th of August, for having conspired, 'unlawfully,' - to oppose and resist the payment of tithes, and to frustrate the - remedies provided by law for the recovery of tithes, and for - soliciting and conspiring to procure the King's subjects to hold - no intercourse with any persons who should pay tithes. - - "Following the example of O'Connell, when he was in a similar - predicament, they set their wits to work to gain time. Costello - took advantage of his legal privilege, to traverse to the next - Commission; the others pleaded in abatement, that some of the - Grand Jurors who had found the bills, were not seised of - freeholds in the County of Dublin. A number of arrests took - place, at the same time, in the county of Tipperary. Among the - persons held to bail was Lord Galway, who had filled the chair at - an anti-tithe meeting held in the neighbourhood of Clonmel.... - - "Before the end of the year they were brought to trial, and the - majority of them, after a few convictions had taken place, - pleaded guilty to the indictments. They pleaded guilty, even by - the advice of O'Connell himself, their great leader in politics - and law, under whose immediate patronage the holding of these - meetings, and the denunciations which they thundered forth, had - been conducted. Two of his most noisy retainers, the president - and vice-president of the Trades' Political Union, were convicted - at Dublin, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Their - defence was that, in the course they had taken regarding tithes, - they were only following the example of ministers and of the - people of England, in regard to rotten boroughs, and they thought - they had been aiding the Ministry in their efforts to abolish - tithes. A number of similar convictions took place in the - counties of Cork and Tipperary. The punishments inflicted were - fines and imprisonment. The criminals were looked upon as - martyrs, and the penalties which they were suffering were set - down as another unpardonable injury committed against Ireland, by - the English Government and Protestant Church." - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -Crime, however, continued unchecked. The clergyman of Borrisokane, in -the county of Tipperary, having found it necessary to seize and sell -some cattle belonging to refractory debtors, the combination prevented -an auctioneer from acting and purchasers from bidding. The cattle were -offered back to the owners at the low price bid for them, but this was -scornfully refused. They must have blood, the more especially as the -attendance of the military at the sale had prevented violence there. A -driver, accompanied by a son of the clergyman, conducted the cattle -to a neighbouring fair. On the public road, and in the broad daylight, -the non-payers of tithes murdered the driver; and, although his -companion did survive, it was only by mistake--they left him for dead -upon the highway. Another clergyman was shot dead on his own lawn, -while overlooking the labours of his servants. - -But, occasionally, these gentlemen got the worst. To secure the -tithes, certain proceedings were necessary in surveying and valuing. -The persons engaged in performing these duties everywhere required the -protection of the military. In the beginning of September, proceedings -of this kind were to be adopted in the parish of Wallstown, county -Cork; the peasantry assembled to resist; they attacked the military; -the latter had to fire in self-defence, and four of the peasantry were -killed, and several others wounded. - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -Again, a party of armed police being engaged in this duty, in a parish -in Kilkenny, in the beginning of October, the police were compelled to -fire, and two persons were killed. But these are enough horrors for -one year. - -The accompanying illustrations give a dinner, two ball, and a walking -dress; also some modes of hair dressing which were in vogue in this -year. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -1833. - - Employment of children in factories--Evidence--Passing of Factory - Act--Gambling--Crockford's club--Gambling "hells"--Police case. - - -At the opening of this year, perhaps, the principal topic of -conversation was about the treatment of children in factories, and -general commiseration was felt for their unhappy condition. This was -principally owing to the publication of the evidence taken before the -Committee on the "Factories Bill," two or three extracts from which I -give, taken haphazard, and not picked out as being the worst-- - - "SAMUEL DOWNE called in and examined. - - Where do you live?--At Hunslet Carr, near Leeds. - - What age are you?--Twenty-nine. - - Have you been long acquainted with factories?--From my youth. - - At what time did you begin to work at one?--At about ten years of - age. - - In whose mill did you work?--In Mr. Martin's, at Shrewsbury. - - What were the customary hours of labour in the mill: state, - first, what were the hours when they were brisk?--When they were - brisk we used generally to begin at five o'clock in the morning, - and they ran on till eight at night; sometimes half-past five to - eight, and sometimes nine. - - What time had you allowed for meals and refreshment?--The engine - never stopped, except forty minutes at dinner time. - - Were these long hours found to be very fatiguing?--Yes. - - What means were taken to keep the children awake and vigilant, - especially at the termination of such a day's labour as you have - described?--There was generally a blow, or a box, or a tap with a - strap, or sometimes with a hand. - - Was very considerable severity used in that mill when you were - there?--Yes. - - Have you yourself been subjected to it?--Yes. - - Strapped?--Yes, I was strapped most severely, till I could not - bear to sit down on a chair without pillows, and I was forced to - lie upon my face in the night-time, at one time; and through that - I left. I was strapped both on my own legs, and then I was put on - a man's back, and then strapped, and buckled with two straps to - an iron pillar, and flogged, and all by one overlooker; after - that, he took a piece of tow, and twisted it in the shape of a - cord, put it in my mouth, and tied it behind my head. - - He gagged you?--Yes; and then he ordered me to run round a part - of the machinery where he was overlooker, and he stood at one - end, and every time I came there, he struck me with a stick, - which I believe was an ash plant, and which he generally carried - in his hand; and sometimes he hit me, and sometimes he did not; - and one of the men in the room came and begged me off, and that - he would let me go, and not beat me any more; and, consequently, - he did. - - You have been beaten with extraordinary severity?--Yes; I was so - beaten that I had not power to cry at all, or hardly to speak, at - one time. - - What age were you at that time?--Between ten and eleven. - - What had you done?--I believe that in the machinery I did not - like the part he put me to, because I had never been in a mill - where there was any machinery before in my life, and it was - winter time, and we worked by gas-light, and I could not catch - the revolutions of the machinery to take the tow out of the - hackles. I desired him to remove me to another part, which he did - for some part of the day, and then sent me back to that which we - call doffing the hackles. - - You say that you were so beat that you could not even cry?--I - cannot assign any other reason for it; it was not because I had - not sufficient punishment: I did my endeavours. When he had used - some mode of language which gave me to understand that he wanted - me to cry when he had flogged me on the man's back, I remember he - repeated a verse about devils trembling, and said, 'But this - hardened wretch will not shed a tear.' He was a member of a - religious society, and I suppose that was the reason that made - him use those words. - - Was he discharged from that society?--Yes, I believe he was; my - grandmother went to the class, it was held in the chapel, and he - was discharged from it. - - Were young women as well as young men beaten?--Yes, I never saw - any distinction between boys and girls." - - "ELIZA MARSHALL called in and examined. - - Where did you get work first?--At Mr. Marshall's in Water Lane. - - Was that a flax mill?--Yes. - - How happened you to leave that mill?--It was so dusty: it stuffed - me so much that I could scarcely speak. - - Did it affect your health?--Yes, I should not have lived long if - I had not left. - - Where did you next go to?--To Mr. Warburton's in Meadow Lane. - - What business is Mr. Warburton?--A worsted spinner. - - What were your hours of work?--When first I went to the mill we - worked from six in the morning till seven in the evening. - - What time had you allowed for dinner?--When first I went we had - an hour, but we did not keep that long; we removed to Lady Lane, - and then we had but half an hour. - - What time had you for breakfast and drinking at Mr. - Marshall's?--A quarter of an hour for breakfast, I believe, and a - quarter of an hour at tea, I think; but it is so long since that - I cannot recollect particularly. - - When you removed to Lady Lane, how long were you required to - work?--After a little time, in Lady Lane, we began at five in the - morning, and worked till nine at night. - - Did they allow you more time for dinner there?--No; we had half - an hour for dinner then, and none for breakfast or tea. - - How did you get your breakfast and drinking?--We got some little - of it, and then went on with our work. - - How old were you when you went to Mr. Warburton's--Nine years - old. - - Do you think you were always allowed your whole time at - dinner?--No; sometimes it was twenty minutes only; and sometimes - the engine went on before we could even get our dinner. - - Were they punctual in allowing you to leave at night, or did they - get any time out of you then?--They used to get many a half hour - out of us at night. - - Are you sure of that?--I am sure of it. - - Were you not very much fatigued with that length of labour?--Yes. - - Did they beat you?--When I was less, they used to do it often. - - Did you not think that treatment very cruel?--I have cried many - an hour in the factory. - - You were exceedingly fatigued at night, were you not?--Yes; I - could scarcely get home. - - Had you to be carried home?--Yes, to be trailed home. - - How were you waked in the morning?--The bell in Mill Street rang - at half-past five, and we got up by that. - - That was not a pleasant sound to you?--No, it was not. - - Was the fatigue gone off in the morning?--No, I was worse in the - morning. - - Did this begin to affect your limbs?--Yes; when we worked over - hours, I was worse by a great deal. I had stuff to rub my knees, - and I used to rub my joints a quarter of an hour, and sometimes - an hour or two. - - Were you straight before that?--Yes, I was straight before that; - my master knows that well enough; and when I have asked for my - wages he said I could not run about as I had been used to do. - - Did he drop your wages in consequence?--No; but he would not - raise my wages, as I hoped he would. I asked, 'Could I not mind - my work?' and he said, 'Yes, but not so quick.' - - Are you crooked now?--Yes, I have an iron on my right leg; my - knee is contracted. - - Was it not great misery for you to do your work?--Yes, it was. - - You could hardly get up to your bed of a-night, sometimes, could - you?--To speak the truth, my sister has carried me up many a - time; she is bigger than I am. I have gone on my hands and knees - many a time. - - Have you been to the Leeds infirmary, to have, if possible, your - limbs restored?--Yes; I was nearly twelve months an outpatient, - and I rubbed my joints, but it did no good; and, last summer, I - went to the Relief, and that did me no good, and I was obliged to - have a machine; and this last winter, I have been in the - infirmary six weeks. - - They have put irons on your legs?--Yes; they cost £3. - - Have any of the surgeons at the infirmary told you by what your - deformity was occasioned?--Yes, one of them said it was by - standing. The marrow is dried out of the bone, so that there is - no natural strength in it. - - You were quite straight till you had to labour so long at those - mills?--Yes; I was as straight as any one. - - You kept at your work as long as you possibly could, with a wish - to assist in keeping your parent?--Yes; I had a step-father, and - he was not willing to keep me, and I went as long as I could; at - last I cried and used to fall back in bed when they called me, so - that they could not find it in their hearts to send me. - - State whether, when your mill has been shown, and when people - have come to look at it, there has not been a great deal of - preparation before it has been seen by a stranger?--Yes, there - has. - - Has there been a great deal done to make it appear clean and - nice, and the children tidy?--Yes, a great deal. - - Have any other mills been prepared for people coming to them, to - your knowledge?--We live in Leeds, at the Bank, nearly opposite - Holforth's silk mill; there was a Parliament gentleman going - there on the Saturday, and the children kept on till 12 o'clock - on the Friday night, and then they had an hour given them on the - morning of Saturday to go and dress themselves. - - When was this?--I can't tell rightly; two or three weeks since, - as nearly as I can recollect. - - Did the children come in their Sunday clothes then?--Yes. - - Were all the children there?--Yes, for anything I know. - - Were any of those who were ill-looking or unwell kept - away?--There were some of them sent home. - - That were not to return?--Yes. - - What were they sent home for?--I do not know; but there was a - gentleman going there. - - Were they sent home because they did not appear to be in good - health?--Yes, that was the purpose, I believe. - - You saw those persons, did you?--Yes. - - Did you not think it very wrong for people, who wish to show the - condition in which children are to make those sort of - preparations previously?--Yes; it was to deceive the gentleman." - -I could give numerous cases similar to the above, did space permit, -but this committee did good work, and the fruit of its labours may be -found in 3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 103, "An Act to Regulate the Labour of -Children and Young Persons in the Mills and Factories of the United -Kingdom," which received the Royal Assent on August 29, 1833. -Subsequent legislation has vastly improved upon this Act, and the -little workers are now so protected as to make it difficult to add -anything for their benefit. - -One of the great vices of the age was gambling. Not so much on the -turf, as at present, nor had gambling in stocks become a science, as -now; but dice and cards were rampant, and might be indulged in, from -the lordly club to the silver hell. They were as difficult to get at -as similar institutions are in the present day, when they are cropping -up again as badly as ever. - -The most aristocratic of these "hells" was "Crockford's" or, -familiarly, "Crockey's," in St. James's Street. It was so called from -its proprietor William Crockford, who formerly kept a small -fishmonger's shop adjoining Temple Bar. In some manner he made some -money, either on the turf or by gambling at cards; he set up a gaming -house on a most extensive scale, on the site now occupied by the -Devonshire Club, No. 50, St. James's Street. Gronow, "Celebrities of -London and Paris," 1865, p. 103, gives as good an account of this -famous club as any one. He says-- - - "In the reign of George IV. a new star rose upon the horizon, in - the person of Mr. William Crockford; and the old-fashioned games - of macao and lansquenet gave place to the all-devouring thirst - for the game of hazard. Crockey, when still a young man, had - relinquished the peaceful trade of a fishmonger for a share in a - "hell," where with his partner Gye he managed to win, after a - sitting of twenty-four hours, the enormous sum of £100,000 from - Lords Thanet and Granville, Mr. Ball Hughes, and two other - gentlemen whose names I do not remember. With this capital, added - to his former gains, he built the well-known palace in St. - James's Street, where a club was established and play organized - on a scale of magnificence and liberality hitherto unknown in - Europe. - - "One may safely say, without exaggeration, that Crockford won the - whole of the ready money of the then existing generation. As is - often the case at Lord's Cricket Ground, the great match of the - gentlemen of England against the professional players was won by - the latter. It was a very hollow thing; and, in a few years, - £1,200,000 were swept away by the fortunate fishmonger. He did - not, however, die worth more than a sixth part of this vast - sum;[12] the difference being swallowed up in various unlucky - speculations. - - [Footnote 12: His personal property was sworn under £200,000, but - his real estate amounted to £150,000 more.] - - "No one can describe the splendour and excitement of the early - days of Crockey. A supper of the most exquisite kind, prepared by - the famous Ude, and accompanied by the best wines in the world, - together with every luxury of the season, was furnished gratis. - The members of the club included all the celebrities of England, - from the Duke of Wellington to the youngest Ensign of the Guards; - and, at the gay and festive board, which was constantly - replenished from midnight to early dawn, the most brilliant - sallies of wit, the most agreeable conversation, the most - interesting anecdotes, interspersed with grave political - discussions and acute logical reasoning on every conceivable - subject, proceeded from the soldiers, scholars, statesmen, poets, - and men of pleasure, who, when 'the House was up,' and balls and - parties at an end, delighted to finish their evening with a - little supper and a good deal of hazard at old Crockey's. The - tone of the club was excellent. A most gentlemanly feeling - prevailed, and none of the rudeness, familiarity, and - ill-breeding, which disgrace some of the minor clubs of the - present day, would have been tolerated for a moment. - - "The great foreign diplomatists, Prince Talleyrand, Count Pozzo - di Borgo, General Alava, the Duke Palmella, Prince Esterhazy, the - French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Austrian ambassadors, - and all persons of distinction and eminence who arrived in - England, belonged to Crockford's as a matter of course; but many - rued the day when they became members of that fascinating but - dangerous coterie. The great Duke himself, rather a friend of the - dandies, did not disdain to appear now and then at this charming - club; whilst the late Lord Raglan, Lord Anglesey, Sir Hussey - Vivian, and many more of our Peninsula and Waterloo heroes were - constant visitors. The two great novelists of the day, who have - since become great statesmen, D'Israeli and Bulwer Lytton, - displayed at that brilliant supper table, the one his sable, the - other his auburn curls; there, Horace Twiss made proof of an - appetite, and Edward Montague of a thirst, which astonished all - beholders; whilst the bitter jests of Sir Joseph Copley, Colonel - Armstrong, and John Wilson Croker, and the brilliant wit of - Alvanley, were the delight of all present, and their _bons mots_ - were, the next day, retailed all over England. - - "In the play room might be heard the clear, ringing voice of that - agreeable reprobate, Tom Duncombe, as he cheerfully called, - "Seven," and the powerful hand of the vigorous Sefton, in - throwing for a ten. There might be noted the scientific dribbling - of a four by "King" Allen, the tremendous backing of nines and - fives by Ball Hughes and Auriol, the enormous stakes played for - by Lords Lichfield and Chesterfield, George Payne, Sir St. - Vincent Cotton, D'Orsay and George Anson, and, above all, the - gentlemanly bearing and unmoved demeanour, under losses or gains, - of all the men of that generation. - - "The old fishmonger himself, seated snug and sly at his desk in - the corner of the room, watchful as the dragon that guarded the - golden apples of the Hesperides, would only give credit to sure - and approved signatures. Who that ever entered that dangerous - little room can ever forget the large green table, with the - croupiers, Page, Parking, and Bacon, with their suave manners, - sleek appearance, stiff white neck cloths, and the almost - miraculous quickness and dexterity with which they swept away the - money of the unfortunate punters when the fatal cry of, 'Deuce - ace,' 'Aces,' or 'Sixes out,' was heard in answer to the caster's - bold cry of 'Seven,' or 'Nine,' or 'Five's the main.' - - "_O noctes cænæque deum!_ But the brightest medal has its - reverse, and after all the cost and gaiety and excitement of the - night, how disagreeable the waking up, and how very unpleasant - the sight of the little card, with its numerous figures marked - down on the debtor side in the fine bold hand of Mr. Page. Alas, - poor Crockey's! shorn of its former glory, has become a sort of - refuge for the destitute, a cheap dining-house.[13] How are the - mighty fallen! Irish buckeens, spring captains, 'welchers' from - Newmarket, and suspicious looking foreigners, may be seen - swaggering after dinner through the marble halls and up that - gorgeous staircase, where once the chivalry of England loved to - congregate; and those who remember Crockford's in all its glory - cast as they pass a look of unavailing regret at its dingy walls, - with many a sigh to the memory of the pleasant days they passed - there, and the gay companions and noble gentlemen who have long - since gone to their last home." - -[Footnote 13: Gronow probably intimates the time when the interior was -redecorated in 1849, and opened for the Military, Naval, and County -Service, but was closed again in 1851.] - -For a good account of Crockford's career, I may refer my readers to -_Bentley's Magazine_, vol. xvii., pp. 142-155, 251-264. - -But to show how prevalent was gaming at this time, I give the -following paragraph in the _Times_, January 24th, copied from an -evening paper:-- - - "THE HELLS IN THE QUADRANT. - - "Those seats of vice (the gaming-houses) which, for some time - past, have existed in the Quadrant, appear to be done up, as, - since Saturday, not one of them has been opened. Since the five - persons have been apprehended, the visitors have been extremely - scarce; nor was their confidence restored, even by the - proprietors' having the chain up at the street door, coupled with - a fellow's being employed at each of the hells to patrol before - the different establishments, for the purpose of giving the - requisite information as to who sought admission into those dens - of destruction. Although a very active search has been made for - the purpose of ascertaining what has become of Daly, the clerk of - the Athenæum Club-house, who left that establishment on the 8th - instant, no trace had been found of him--one of the many - lamentable instances of loss of character and ruin which overtake - those who suffer themselves to be lured into those houses. Daly, - who enjoyed the confidence of the whole of the members, was - suddenly missed on the above day. On looking over his papers, a - diary was found, from which it appeared that he had lost large - sums of money at No. 60, and as it has since been ascertained he - was there on the previous day, it is supposed that he lost 24 £5 - notes at play which belonged to his employers. Upon this - discovery being made, some gentlemen of the Athenæum waited on - the parish officers, to ascertain whether they could put a stop - to the gaming-houses. It was, however, found that it could not be - done, unless some person would come forward and identify those at - play; a relation of Daly accordingly went to the house, and - supplied the necessary proof. It was at this establishment, a few - months since, the foreigners who had been fleeced made an attempt - to rob the bank; and, shortly after that, placards were posted on - the walls in the neighbourhood of the Quadrant, cautioning - persons from going into any of the hells, as drugged wine was - invariably given to those who were going to play." - -In these cases, nowadays, our magistrates look upon a raid upon a -gaming-house as a very trivial affair, inflicting only mild fines upon -the offenders. They might peruse, with advantage, the practice of -their predecessors. Take a case at the Westminster Sessions, on May -9th-- - - "Three prisoners, out of six, answered to the indictment of - keeping and maintaining a common gaming-house, and pleaded - guilty. The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Clarkson, said that the - house in question was situate No. 54, Regent's Circus, six doors - from the house which was lately prosecuted. He should have been - able to prove that on February the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th last, - the games of _rouge et noir_ and _roulette_ were played for sums - varying from one sovereign to one shilling. He should have also - proved that on some one or on all those occasions the defendants - acted in the capacities of doorkeeper, banker, and waiter. He - (Mr. Clarkson) was informed by the officers of St. James's parish - that at the last Sessions there were twenty-seven houses of this - description situate therein, and out of that number only two had - been closed in the interval, but three new ones had been opened, - so that the number had been increased rather than otherwise. - - "Mr. Philips, for the defence, said that those houses had nothing - to do with the present case. He would advise the parish officers - to go to Crockford's, not far distant from the house in question, - where they would find lords and peers of the realm at play. - - "The bench sentenced two of the prisoners to three months, and - one to fourteen days imprisonment in the House of Correction, - whilst the bail of one who did not appear was estreated." - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -1833. - - The overland route to India--The Government and Lieutenant - Waghorn--Police magistrate and the press--Cobbett and the British - Museum--Prevalence of influenza--"National Convention" - riot--Policeman killed--The coroner and the jury--Adulteration of - tea. - - -We saw how, in 1832, the East India Company refused to accelerate -communication with India by means of steam vessels. I have now to -record the earliest efforts of Lieutenant Waghorn, in his famed -overland route to India, which, however, did not become an -accomplished fact until October, 1845. The _Times_, February 6th, thus -comments on the conduct of Earl Grey's ministry in this matter-- - - "It will hardly be credited that Mr. Waghorn, who is on the point - of leaving England, to carry personally into effect one of the - most important enterprises in which any man has ever yet - engaged--namely, the shortening by one half the time of our - communications with India--has been refused, by Sir James Graham, - a commission as Lieutenant in the Navy, a rank to which he is - fairly entitled from his period of service, and which is most - material to his success. The Board of Control, the Admiralty, - nay, the whole of the Government, profess the desire to have this - great project fully brought to bear; they admit Mr. Waghorn's - qualifications, attested by nearly the whole mercantile community - of India, for the undertaking; they are relieved, through his and - their means, of all expense or thought or trouble about the - success of it; the only thing asked is a Lieutenant's - commission, simply because Mr. Waghorn is aware of the far - greater attention which the rank of a British officer will - procure him from the Pacha of Egypt, and would willingly, to - obtain it, relinquish the pay of that rank, and yet it is refused - by those to whom his labours, if successful, must prove of - incalculable benefit!" - -Another little instance of prejudice, which broader thinking has -rendered impossible, nowadays, is given in the _Times_, March 21st-- - - "MARYLEBONE OFFICE. - - "Yesterday morning, just as the business had commenced, a case of - trivial importance was called on, when at the moment the writer - came into the Justice Room, and was approaching the desk usually - appropriated for reporters, which had been previously occupied by - two policemen, who, knowing the arduous duties which those - connected with the press had to perform, immediately gave way, - when the following colloquy ensued-- - - "Mr. Rawlinson (to the policeman): Why do you give way to that - man--you have a better right to be here than he has? Then, - extending his voice, he said to the reporter, I wish you would - not come here so often, sir. - - "Reporter: 'I believe, sir, that police offices are, or at least - ought to be, open to the public; and, as I am employed by the - _Times_ newspaper to report the proceedings at this office, I - humbly submit that I have as much right to stand here for the - information of the public in general as any policeman who may be - a witness in the case before you.' - - "Mr. Rawlinson: The office is too full of reporters; I beg, sir, - that you will give way to the witness. - - "Reporter: Most certainly, sir; but, with all due deference, I - beg to submit that in a public office reporters are entitled to - admission. - - "Mr. Rawlinson (angrily): Perhaps I may let you know to the - contrary. - - "Here the conversation dropped." - -Yet one more case of ignorance and prejudice--which occurred in the -House of Commons, on March 25th, when the report of the Committee of -Supply was brought up. On the question that the House do agree with -the Committee in the resolution that a sum not exceeding £16,884 be -granted to his Majesty for the expenses of the establishment of the -British Museum-- - - "Mr. Cobbett rose to object to the resolution. He saw no reason - why the sum of £16,000 should be paid out of the general taxes of - the country for the sake of supporting the British Museum. In - former times, when Mr. Bankes superintended the expenditure of - the British Museum, the grant to it did not exceed £10,000. Then - he thought the grant unjust, and now he could not imagine why, in - the present distressed condition of the country, it should be - raised to £16,000: for when was the British Museum of the - slightest use to the country at large? Last year there was £1000 - paid for a collection of insects; what use could that collection - be of to the weavers of Lancashire, or to the farmers and - tradesmen of distant parts of the country? The plain fact was - that the British Museum was of no use at all! It was a place to - which curious persons went to entertain themselves, by gratifying - their curiosity, and in which the rich were accustomed to lounge - away their time at the expense of their poorer countrymen. For - his own part, he did not know where the British Museum was (much - laughter), and was not acquainted with its contents. He thought - that this sum of £16,000, granted by the Committee, was just - £16,000 thrown away for the gratification of a set of loungers, - who had first taken care to get enough out of the taxes to enable - them to lounge away the rest of their lives in complete idleness. - He also objected to this grant because there was £10,000 of it, - and more, paid away in salaries, and to whom? If a list of the - parties to whom those salaries were paid were laid upon the table - of the House--and he would undertake to say that it should - shortly be laid there--it would be found that they were paid away - to the aristocracy and their dependents. He would move for a - list of those who received them." (Several voices: "The list is - published already.") "Who, he should like to know, were the maids - who swept out the rooms of the British Museum? Doubtless they - were the daughters of the head officers of the establishment. He - would say that a more scandalous job than this grant never - disgraced this Government, and that was saying a great deal. - (Laughter.) He should conclude by moving that this report be - recommitted." - -Of course no one was on his side, and the grant was passed. - -From April to July this year influenza was very prevalent, sparing -neither rank, age, nor sex. It was not a new disease, for it was known -in 1580, when it preceded the plague; in 1658, it was followed by a -fatal epidemic fever; in 1743 by the plague; in 1762 by violent -dysentery; in 1813, by ophthalmia and dysentery, and in 1831 by the -cholera. The _Medical Gazette_, of May 5th, says-- - - "As to the rest, so far as regards the metropolis, the influenza - has been plague enough, without looking for another. It has been - a hundred-fold more prevalent than cholera was, and we are - inclined to believe has proved fatal, within the last fortnight, - to a greater number of persons than that disease carried off in - London within an equal period. Certainly this holds good with - respect to the upper and middle classes of society, among whom a - large number of aged persons have fallen victims to it. The - increased mortality of the metropolis during the present - epidemic, is strikingly exemplified by the weekly account of - burials. That ending April 16th exhibits an increase over the - preceding of 266; that ending April 23rd, another increase upon - the above of 209; that of May 1st, a further increase of 165; - making the entire increase in the number of funerals last week - equal to 640; and this, too, within the limits of the Bills of - Mortality. The epidemic is now, however, rapidly on the decline, - though a considerable number of relapses have occurred, and many - continue to linger under its effects." - -It spread both to Ireland and Scotland, but ceased about July. - -On April 30th, an attempt to repeal the House and Window Tax was made, -but was not successful. The window tax was especially obnoxious, as it -led to keeping out light and fresh air from rooms that sadly needed -both, and it lingered on until July 24, 1851, when it was repealed by -Act 14 & 15 Vict. c. 36, and a duty upon inhabited houses was levied -in its place. - -In this reign there could scarcely be political agitation without -violence, and we find on May 13th, there was even murder committed. -The following account is taken from the _Annual Register_, as being -more condensed than the newspaper reports:-- - - "POLITICAL MEETING AND MURDER. - - "For some days placards had been posted up, addressed to the - members of the political unions, calling a public meeting, to be - held in Calthorpe Street, Coldbath Fields, preparatory to forming - a National Convention. A proclamation had been issued from the - Home Office, prohibiting the meeting as being illegal. It was - held, nevertheless, on the 13th. The hour appointed for the - meeting was two o'clock, but the populace had been assembling for - three hours previously. Shortly after twelve o'clock strong - detachments of the metropolitan police marched into the - neighbourhood, and took up their quarters in the riding school of - the London Volunteers, and the several livery stables in the - vicinity. Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne, the two Commissioners, had - previously arrived, and were accommodated at a house in the - neighbourhood, attended by two clerks. A magistrate of Hatton - Garden office was stationed in the House of Correction, as were - also other magistrates, and a strong body of the police force. - Two officers of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards were on the - spot, in plain clothes, keeping up a constant communication with - their regiment, a detachment of which was under arms, and ready - at a moment's notice. - - "Matters remained in this state till near two o'clock, by which - time the number of people had greatly increased, and there were - between three thousand and four thousand present. During this - time the committee, consisting of six individuals, were holding - their council at the Union public-house, Bagnigge Wells, and some - discussion arose between them, as to which of them should ascend - the hustings first. A young man named James Lee undertook to open - the proceedings by proposing a person to fill the chair. Shortly - before three o'clock a caravan, which had been engaged for the - purpose, took its station. Lee jumped into it, followed by a - person named Mee, and several others. Lee waved his hat several - times, which was answered by the shouts of the assembly. The - owner of the van, however, did not like the appearance of things, - and instantly drove off, the committee jumping out of the - caravan. Lee was then carried on the shoulders of some of the - mob, to the railings, and proposed that Mr. Mee should take the - chair, which, being seconded, Mr. Mee stood up and addressed the - meeting, calling upon those present to beware of those hirelings - of the Government who were paid to induce them to commit a breach - of the peace. The Union, who had been anxiously expected all the - morning, at this moment made their appearance, and the - acclamations of the populace were deafening. The Union consisted - of about a hundred and fifty persons, and the banners carried - were, 'Liberty or death,' with a skull and cross-bones on a black - ground, with a red border; 'Holy Alliance of the Working - Classes;' 'Equal Rights and Equal Justice;' a Tricoloured flag; - the republican flag of America; and a pole with the cap of - Liberty. - - "They had scarcely got upon the ground, before a detachment of - the A division (supported by some other divisions) marched into - Calthorpe Street with the greatest order and precision. Their - promptitude and formidable appearance seemed to make a momentary - impression on the mob, but a person, pointing to the banner of - 'Liberty or death,' shouted, 'Men, be firm!' This was sufficient - to rouse their feelings; they called out, 'Down with them; - Liberty or death!' and appeared determined to resist to the - utmost. 'Go on, go on!' resounded from all sides to the speaker. - - "The division of police had halted in the middle of the street, - and received renewed orders to act calmly and with forbearance. - They then walked forward, with their staves in their hands, - clearing their way through the observers who had been attracted - to the spot, and pressed forward directly to the man who still - continued to address the mob. The police were instantly attacked - by the mob. The conflict was but of a minute's duration, and the - sound of the blows, and the shrieks of the women who had obtruded - themselves into danger were loud. When a clearance was effected, - at least twenty men were prostrate on the ground, with blood - streaming from their heads. Sergeant Harrison, of the D division, - was the first who seized a banner, but received a violent blow on - the arm. Robert Cully, C 95, and his brother, made up to another, - when Cully received a wound in the abdomen from a stilletto, and - instantly expired. Sergeant Brooks was also wounded, besides - several others who received blows. The people rallied in the open - space by the prison, and made a vigorous attack on the police, - which was instantly and effectually repelled, though not till - they had attempted to rescue the banner of 'Liberty or death.' - The police were therefore formed into lines, extending across the - different streets, for a quarter of a mile round the place, and - every party of three or four persons was instantly ordered to - 'Move on.' In Gray's Inn Lane, on the N division clearing the - place, one man took a stone to fling at the policeman who was - ordering him off, but his arm was arrested by another policeman. - A united shout of 'Stone the ---- ----!' arose, and there was an - immediate rush of the populace into the middle of the road, where - there were fresh laid granite stones; but a movement of the whole - division, and the capture of the ringleaders, arrested the - further progress of the mob. By four o'clock, everything was - tranquil, and a number of prisoners had been arrested. - - "An inquest was held on the body of Cully, the policeman who had - been stabbed. From the state of political feeling, the jury - seemed determined to justify murder on the ground that the - meeting was legal, or, if illegal, had not been legally - dispersed. The inquest was continued for several days, and - finally the jury, after retiring for nearly three hours, returned - the following verdict: 'We find a verdict of _justifiable - homicide_ on these grounds: That no Riot Act was read, nor any - proclamation advising the people to disperse; that the Government - did not take the proper precautions to prevent the meeting from - assembling; and that the conduct of the police was ferocious, - brutal, and unprovoked by the people; and we moreover express our - anxious hope that the Government will, in future, take better - precautions to prevent the occurrence of such disgraceful - transactions in this metropolis.' - - "Coroner: Your verdict only traduces the police and the - Government. You are not borne out by the evidence in justifying - the murder of this man. Were the people innocent who used the - murderous weapons, stilettos, bludgeons, and lances, such as you - have seen? - - "Foreman: We state in our verdict on what grounds we justify the - homicide. We do not traduce the police, nor the Government. We - trust that our verdict will prevent the negligence and misconduct - that has caused the arms and heads of his Majesty's peaceable - subjects to be broken. - - "Coroner: Do you call them peaceable subjects? - - "Foreman: It has been proved that they are peaceable. We will say - no more, sir; record our verdict or dismiss us. We have told you, - sir, we will not alter a letter. In regard to our oath, and our - duty to our God, our country, and our King, we can give no other - verdict. - - "After a consultation of some length, the coroner directed the - verdict, as originally put in, to be entered on the record. The - depositions, inquisition, and record were then completed and - signed. - - "The coroner said, 'Gentlemen, I consider your verdict - disgraceful to you; but I thank you for your great attention to - the case.' - - "The foreman, bowing, said, 'We thank you, sir.' - - "Hereupon, a number of persons in the room, which was crowded to - excess, exclaimed, 'Bravo, jurors; you have done your duty nobly, - the country is indebted to you;' which was followed by vociferous - cheering in the room, re-echoed with prodigious vehemence by the - crowd outside. As the jury withdrew, numbers of persons pressed - forward and shook each of them eagerly by the hand. In the - streets, as they passed, they were cheered by name, while the - police were hooted. - - "On May 29th, the Solicitor-General moved the Court of King's - Bench for a writ of _Certiorari_ to remove the inquisition into - that court, for the purpose of having the verdict quashed. The - verdict, he said, was bad in point of law. The conclusion at - which the jury had arrived was not only unwarranted by the facts - given in evidence, but directly contrary to those facts." - -The verdict was quashed, and a man named George Nursey was charged -with the policeman's murder, but the prosecution failed in getting a -conviction. - -Here is a somewhat curious police report treating of an extinct -industry. Indeed, I doubt whether it would have obtained in 1833, had -not tea been so dear. _Times_, May 14th-- - - "UNION HALL. - - "Yesterday, in the course of examination of two boys, who were - brought from Camberwell, before Mr. Chambers, for gambling on - Sunday, some disclosures of importance respecting the extent to - which the suspected adulteration of tea is carried on in this - metropolis were made. - - "In the possession of one of the juvenile defendants a policeman - found two shillings upon taking him into custody, and when the - boy was asked by the magistrate where he got that money, he - immediately replied, 'Not by gambling, your Worship, but by - picking tea leaves.' - - "Mr. Chambers (smiling): The tea plant does not happen to grow in - this country, my lad; therefore you are adding a falsehood to the - offence for which you were brought here, and that offence is - always sure to lead to crimes of more magnitude. - - "The defendant still persisted in the truth of his assertion, - relative to the picking of tea leaves; and when asked to explain - the manner in which he did it, he replied, 'Why, your Worship, I - am employed by a cowkeeper at Camberwell, who sends me into the - fields to gather sloe leaves and black and white thorn leaves, - and he pays me so much a pound for all I picks. I works hard, and - sometimes earns a good bit of money at the job.' - - "Mr. Chambers inquired what the cowkeeper wanted with sloe and - black and white thorn leaves; it could not be for the use of his - cows. - - "Inspector Walters, of the P division, stated that he should be - enabled to throw some light upon the subject of what the boy - termed 'picking tea leaves.' The inspector then said that for the - last month a number of poor persons, of both sexes, were observed - in the fields adjacent to Camberwell, picking leaves out of the - hedges. To such an extent, in fact, had this picking system - lately been carried, in and about that neighbourhood, that many - of the hedgerows were completely divested of their foliage. He - had questioned some of the people as to the purposes for which - the leaves were intended, and he had the same reply from all, - namely, that they were employed by a cowkeeper, who gave them a - penny a pound for sloe and black thorn leaves, and half that sum - for white thorn leaves. One man told him that he picked between - 50 and 60 lbs. a day, and always had a sure market for selling - them to the cowkeeper. On a recent occasion a gentleman resident - in Camberwell complained that the hedge surrounding one of his - fields had been entirely stripped of its leaves, but he objected - to give any person into custody for the damage committed on his - property, but warned them not to be seen there again. The - inspector added that the circumstance had created some surprise - at Camberwell, and he had instituted an inquiry into the matter, - in the course of which he ascertained that the statement made to - him by the persons found picking the leaves was perfectly correct - as to the party whom they supplied. The next step was to discover - how the cowkeeper disposed of the leaves, and this was - accomplished by placing persons to watch his premises, when it - was found that they underwent no process while in his possession, - but were sent in bags to extensive tea dealers in the city, to - whose warehouses they were traced from the cowkeeper's yard in - Camberwell. - - "Mr. Chambers inquired what steps had been taken after tracing - leaves of that description to the house of a tea dealer. It - looked, certainly, very suspicious, for he heard reports of tea - being adulterated with sloe leaves. - - "The inspector said that information of the fact of such leaves - as those he had described having been received at a tea warehouse - was given to the Excise, and he had no doubt but they intended to - act forthwith upon it." - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -1833. - - The Queen's visit to the City--Her unpopularity--King's dislike - of the Duchess of Kent--Hungerford Market opened--Death and - funeral of Wilberforce--Abolition of slavery--Synopsis of Act--A - Women's rowing match--List of periodicals and their - circulation--Return of Captain Ross--State of Ireland--Passing of - "Coercion Bill," etc. - - -The poor Queen was still very unpopular, as we read in the _Times_ of -June 15th-- - - "We are assured by a gentleman who followed the royal procession - on Thursday (June 13th), both in the approach to the Cathedral - and in the subsequent visit to the Mansion House, that her - Majesty's reception in the City was by no means so favourable as - was represented. In passing up Ludgate Hill the groans and hisses - of the multitude were extremely violent, so as quite to overpower - the manifestations of respect which proceeded in that place from - a very small portion of the spectators. After the termination of - the service at St. Paul's, the royal carriage was attended, - comparatively, by a very small number of the populace, and among - these a few hisses were occasionally heard, with also a few - indications of a more loyal nature; but the demeanour of a far - greater portion of the spectators was cold and indifferent. Some - hisses were heard from the populace at the time her Majesty was - ascending the steps at the Mansion House. When the _cortége_ - drove off after the visit to the Lord Mayor, it was done with so - much rapidity as to be soon out of sight, and almost elude the - observation of the populace." - -There was also considerable friction, in the royal circle itself. The -King did not like the Duchess of Kent, and did not scruple to show his -dislike openly in somewhat petty ways. Hear what Greville says-- - - "July 4th.--At Court yesterday, and Council for a foolish - business. The King has been (not unnaturally) disgusted with the - Duchess of Kent's progress with her daughter through the kingdom, - and, amongst the rest, with her sailings at the Isle of Wight, - and the continual popping in the shape of salutes to her Royal - Highness. He did not choose that this latter practice should go - on, and he signified his pleasure to Sir James Graham and Lord - Hill, for salutes are matters of general order, both to army and - navy. They (and Lord Grey) thought it better to make no order on - the subject, and they opened a negotiation with the Duchess of - Kent, to induce her, of her own account, to waive the salutes, - and when she went to the Isle of Wight to send word that, as she - was sailing about for her amusement, she had rather they did not - salute her whenever she appeared. The negotiation failed, for the - Duchess insisted on her right to be saluted, and would not give - it up. Kemp told me he had heard that Conroy (who is a ridiculous - fellow, a compound of 'Great Hussy' and the Chamberlain of the - Princess of Navarre[14]) had said, 'that, as Her Royal Highness's - _confidential adviser_, he could not recommend her to give way on - this point.' As she declined to accede to the proposals, nothing - remained but to alter the regulations, and, accordingly, - yesterday, by an Order in Council, the King changed them, and - from this time the Royal Standard is only to be saluted when the - King or Queen is on board." - -[Footnote 14: See Sir C. Hanbury Williams' Poems.] - -Among the odds and ends of news in this year was the opening of -Hungerford Market, on July 2nd, amidst great festivity, which included -a balloon ascent, and a ball and fireworks at night. It was situated -on the site now occupied by the Charing Cross Station, and was -demolished in 1862. - -On the 29th of July died William Wilberforce, the distinguished -philanthropist, memorable especially for his exertions in the -abolition of slavery. He was buried on August 4th, in Westminster -Abbey, the pall-bearers being the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the -House of Commons, Lord Bexley, the Marquis of Westminster, the Right -Hon. Charles Grant, Sir Robert Inglis, Mr. W. Smith, and His Royal -Highness the Duke of Gloucester. Among the mourners were the peers, at -the head of whom were the Dukes of Sussex and Wellington, the -Archbishop of Canterbury, and most of the bishops, and, lastly, the -members of the House of Commons. - -It seems hard that he was denied the pleasure of seeing that come to -pass, the forwarding of which had occupied so great a part of his -life, viz. the abolition of slavery. In 1807 the importation of slaves -into our colonies was decreed; but men's minds were exercised as to -the lawfulness of keeping slaves at all, and an Anti-Slavery Society -was established in 1823, the principal members of which were -Wilberforce, Buxton, Zachary Macaulay, Lord Suffield, and Dr. -Lushington, and in that year a movement was made in Parliament in -furtherance of this object, but for some years the cause made little -progress, until 1830, when it was again taken up. But, in 1833, the -Government took it seriously in hand, and the abolition of slavery was -carried with comparatively little opposition. True, Mr. W. E. -Gladstone, in a debate thereon, on June 3rd, defended his father as a -slave owner--he having an estate at Demerara, called Vreeden's -Hoop--but he had a bad cause to back up, and his speech was -practically nullified by Lord Howick's reply. - -The opponents of the Bill talked of the helplessness of the negroes, -who had always had everything found them, and prophesied that they -would starve; indeed, an anonymous artist produced the accompanying -picture of "An Emancipated Negro," who is reduced to catching -butterflies for food. - -[Illustration: "An Emancipated Negro."] - -The Bill passed the House of Commons on August 7th, and received the -Royal Assent on August 28th. It is 3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 73, and is -entitled "An Act for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the _British_ -Colonies; for promoting the industry of the manumitted slaves; and for -compensating the persons hitherto entitled to the services of such -slaves." It is a long Act, but the following is a synopsis. - -All children under six years of age, or born after August 1st, 1834, -are declared free: all registered slaves above six years become, from -the same date, apprenticed labourers, divided into two principal -classes, _prædial_, or those engaged in agriculture, and the -_non-prædial_; the apprenticeships of the former to expire August 1, -1838; of the latter August 1, 1840. The hours of the _prædial_ -apprentices not to exceed forty-five in any one week, and for which -they were to be paid either by being boarded and lodged or by -receiving a sum of money weekly. By this transition into the -apprentice state, the slave immediately entered into the chief -immunities of a free man; he could not be arbitrarily punished by his -master, and became eligible to give evidence in criminal and civil -courts, to serve on juries and in the militia. One of the chief -difficulties to settle, was in determining the compensation to the -owners of slaves for the loss of their compulsory services. A very -small party in the Commons was in favour of the immediate and entire -emancipation of the negroes, and that without any compensation -whatever; the ministers at first proposed advancing a loan of -£15,000,000 to the West India proprietors; subsequently this _loan_ -was transmuted into a _gift_ of £20,000,000, by which liberal -donation, Mr. Secretary Stanley said the whole plan would ensure the -cordial co-operation of the planters and colonial legislatures. On -this basis it was settled, and an end put to a question which had -formed almost the exclusive subject of public interest and agitation -by the religious portion of the community during the last half -century. - -To change from grave to gay. The "New Woman" was already beginning to -assert masculine functions, though hardly in such an æsthetic manner -as to-day. In 1787 Rowlandson portrayed a cricket match played in that -year by women, at Ball's Pond, and several satirical prints -immortalize the lady cricketer; but it was reserved for the _Times_ of -September 4, 1833, to chronicle-- - - "A ROWING MATCH AMONG WOMEN.--The proposed wager among women came - off yesterday. It was said that the contest was for a purse of - sovereigns given by the ladies and gentlemen of Lambeth; but it - is believed the proprietor of a public-house near Lambeth Palace - was the donor. The females were the wives and daughters of - fishermen. The _canaille_ mustered in shoals, and never did we - see a rowing match so attended. The purlieus of Westminster and - St. George's Fields had poured forth their population, and - Billingsgate had supplied its oratory. To attempt to describe the - rowing, or to give the names of Sal this, or Mary that, as they - were bawled from the shore in a tone of encouragement, would be a - gross insult to the understanding of our readers; but the lady - who wore a blue bow in her cap as large as a sunflower, and who - had her garments tied round her legs with a rope, had the - distinguished honour of being declared the victor." - -We are used to hear each newspaper vieing with another as to its -circulation, but the following list is authentic, as every newspaper -had to be stamped by the Inland Revenue, and the numbers as officially -declared must needs be correct. It also supplies an authentic list of -the ephemeral publications of the day. It covers from January 1, 1832, -to June 30, 1833. - - --------------+-----------------------------------------------+------------ - Period of | Title of Newpaper. | Number of - Publication. | | Stamps. - --------------+-----------------------------------------------+------------ - Daily | The Times } | 5,727,987 - Thrice a week | Evening Mail } | - | | - Daily | Morning Herald } | 3,949,991 - Thrice a week | English Chronicle } | - | | - Daily | Morning Post | 1,047,000 - | | - " | Morning Chronicle } | - Weekly | Englishman } | - " | Observer } | 2,682,297 - " | Bell's Life in London } | - | | - Daily | Morning Advertiser | 1,696,500 - | | - " | Guardian and Public Ledger } | - " | British Traveller } | 433,218 - Weekly | Weekly Times } | - | | - " | County Chronicle } | 213,500 - " | County Herald } | - | | - " | United Kingdom | 429,000 - | | - " | Mark Lane Express (commenced Jan. 3, } | - | 1832) } | - " | New Farmer's Journal (commenced Feb. } | 65,710 - | 11, 1833) } | - | | - " | Farmer's Journal (discontinued July 16, } | 46,975 - | 1832) } | - | | - " | British Liberator (commenced January 13, } | 9,550 - | 1833) } | - | | - " | Merle's Weekly Register (commenced November } | 16,452 - | 19, 1832) } | - | | - " | Sunday Herald (commenced April 7, } | 14,300 - | 1833) } | - | | - " | Bell's Weekly Messenger | 776,500 - " | Bell's Weekly Dispatch | 2,330,947 - " | Ballot | 93,000 - " | Atlas | 247,500 - " | Examiner | 329,645 - " | Literary Gazette | 62,675 - | | - " | Court Journal } | - " | Naval and Military Gazette (commenced } | 185,875 - | February 9, 1833) } | - " | New Court Journal (commenced March 30, } | 4,850 - | 1833; discontinued June 1) } | - | | - " | Cobbett's Weekly Political Register | 128,500 - " | John Bull | 445,500 - Twice weekly | London Gazette | 218,000 - Weekly | Spectator | 173,283 - Weekly | Age | 519,800 - " | News | 199,000 - " | Satirist | 393,022 - Daily | Albion and Star | 393,000 - | | - " | Standard } | - Thrice a week | St. James's Chronicle } | - " | London Packet } | 2,328,500 - Weekly | London Journal } | - | | - Daily | True Sun } | 559,140 - Weekly | Weekly True Sun } | - | | - Daily | Courier | 1,170,250 - " | Globe and Traveller | 1,657,500 - " | Sun | 1,061,000 - Thrice a week | Record | 397,250 - | | - Weekly | Sunday Times } | 643,500 - " | Essex and Herts Mercury } | - | | - " | Alfred } | - " | United Service Gazette (commenced February } | 63,709 - | 9, 1833) } | - | | - " | Town | 86,100 - " | Patriot (commenced February 22, 1832) | 159,000 - " | Old England (commenced April 14, 1832) | 48,300 - " | Christian Advocate | 113,055 - " | Bell's New Weekly Messenger | 365,500 - | | - " | The Truth (commenced February 10, 1833; } | 5,000 - | discontinued March 10) } | - | | - " | The Athenæum, only one stamped number } | 10,000 - | published within the period } | - | | - " | Commercial Gazette | 40,600 - | | - " | Law Chronicle } | 10,475 - " | Law Gazette } | - | | - " | Racing Calendar | 42,575 - " | Banker's Calendar | 16,000 - | | - " | Constitution (discontinued January 15, } | 1,500 - | 1832) } | - | | - " | World (discontinued May 23, 1832) | 16,600 - | | - " | Plain Dealer (commenced January 1, 1832; } | 9,000 - | discontinued February 19, 1832) } | - | | - " | Reflector (commenced December 15, 1832; } | 2,600 - | discontinued December 29, 1832) } | - | | - " | Mercantile Journal | 17,465 - " | Corn Trade Circular | 5,250 - Thrice a week | Course of Exchange | 8,010 - " | Commercial Record | 5,700 - Weekly | London New Price Current | 22,300 - | | - " | Universal Corn Reporter (commenced } | 20,000 - | February 6, 1832) } | - | | - " | Bankrupt's and Insolvent's Weekly Gazette | 16,987 - Monthly | London Literary Gazette | 14,250 - | | - Weekly | The Movement (commenced April 28, } | 3,000 - | 1833; discontinued June 3) } | - | | - " | London Mercantile Price Current | 5,610 - " | United Kingdom Gazette | 4,706 - --------------+-----------------------------------------------+------------ - -Captain Ross, who from May 29, 1829, had been employed in the -_Victory_ steamer on a fresh expedition to the Arctic Regions, at the -expence of Sir Felix Booth, a rich distiller, arrived safely at -Stromness on October 12th, on board the _Isabella_ of Hull (formerly -his own discovery ship), which picked him up in Prince Regent's Inlet -on August 27th, he having finally abandoned his own ship thirteen -months previously. He had a narrow escape of losing all his papers; -for, after showing them at the Admiralty, he left them in a cab. -Luckily, the cabman was honest, and the captain recovered them. - -Parliament (the first reformed) met on January 29th, and it was not -long before the more effective government of Ireland was brought on -for discussion. A Bill for the suppression of disturbances in Ireland -(or, as it was commonly called, "The Coercion Bill") was introduced -into the House of Lords by Earl Grey, was read a first time on -February 15th, and was passed there without a division on February -22nd. But it had a very warm time in the House of Commons, and it was -not passed until March 29th. The Lords agreed with the amendments of -the Commons, and it received the Royal Assent on April 2nd. It is 3 -and 4 Gul. IV. c. 4, "An Act for the more effectual suppression of -local Disturbances and dangerous Associations in Ireland." The Lord -Lieutenant at once put the Act in force, with very good results. The -more daring outrages diminished; for whereas the offences against the -law, in eleven counties, were 472 in March, they were but 162 in May. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -Two other Bills, which materially tended to the pacification of -Ireland, were passed, and became law respectively on August 14th and -28th--3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 37, "An Act to alter and amend the laws -relating to the Temporalities of the Church in Ireland," and 3 and 4 -Gul. IV. c. 79, "An Act to provide for the more impartial Trial of -Offences in certain cases in Ireland." - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -The fashions of this year include two walking-dresses, one dinner, and -one ball-dress, together with bonnets, a turban, a cap, and various -modes of dressing the hair. (_See preceding page._) - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -1834. - - Corporation commission--Curious advertisement--Discovery of - treasure--Bribery at Liverpool--Duke of York's statue--Trades' - unions--Skit thereon--Riot at Oldham--Unionist oath--Union - meeting and monster petition--Its fate--Duke of Wellington made - Chancellor of Oxford--The Princess Victoria's lover. - - -The first thing of importance in this year was the resumption of the -sittings of the Corporation Commission, which was an inquiry into the -Corporation of London. This object of envy has been several times -attacked, sometimes partially despoiled; always threatened, yet always -vigorous, it is the red rag of the Radical bull. This Commission did -the usual thing--took evidence, and came to nought. - -The year itself was very uneventful in social incidents, so that I -must draw upon divers odds and ends illustrative of the times. Here is -the advertisement of a particularly cool gentleman, culled from the -first page of the _Times_, January 17th-- - - "AN HEIR. - - "A single gentleman, member of an English university, disgusted - at some family differences, is desirous of relinquishing his - connections and changing his name. The advertiser, who is a - gentleman of good education, affable manners, and pleasing - address, submits the proposal to the consideration of the - affluent, who have no issue. A full explanation will be entered - into, and most respectable and satisfactory references given. - Apply, etc." - -Next is a paragraph from the _Cambrian_, quoted in the same _Times_-- - - "REMARKABLE SUBMARINE DISCOVERY. - - "Among the occurrences which have been transmitted by tradition - to our neighbours in Gower, is the account of the wreck of a - homeward-bound Spanish galleon, laden with dollars, on Rhosily - Sands, near the Wormshead, shortly after the conquest of South - America by the Spaniards; that the crew, without giving - information of the nature of her cargo, sold the wreck for a - trifle to a Mr. Thomas, of Pitton, who, not being aware of the - value of his purchase, or from some other cause, took no pains - for her recovery, and that she shortly became completely embedded - in the sands. Nevertheless, suspicion always existed in that part - of the country that she must have had on board some valuable - articles; and, about twenty-six years ago, in consequence of the - sand having drifted very unusually, part of the wreck, in a very - decayed state, became visible, and a great quantity of dollars, - with some old iron and pewter, were then dug up from some depth - in the sand. The late Mr. John Beynon, of Pitton, having failed - to prove by any written document the purchase of the vessel by - his ancestor (the above-named Mr. Thomas), Mr. Talbot, of Penrice - Castle, the lord of the manor, became entitled to the property, - but he generously refused to accept it; consequently, many of the - inhabitants were much enriched by this fortuitous circumstance. - The spot where the vessel struck being only open at four hours - ebb-tide, and the sand having returned to its old quarters, the - money-hunters were obliged to desist in their attempts, and all - hope was abandoned of any further booty from that source. During - the late gales, however, the sand having shifted again, the spot - was once more resorted to, and the recovery of a very large - quantity of dollars has been the result, some bearing the date of - 1631, others further back. The circumstance has created a very - peculiar interest in the neighbourhood; and, as it is not likely - that the present lord of the manor, C. R. Talbot, Esq., will - deviate from the precedent of his respected father, it is to be - hoped that the neighbourhood, which is very poor, will be - considerably benefited by this occurrence." - -On March 19th the House of Commons passed a bill disenfranchising the -Freemen of Liverpool for bribery at the late election, but it did not -pass the Lords. Liverpool had formerly an unenviable notoriety for -this sort of thing, and it is said that in 1830, when Messrs. Denison -and Ewart contested the borough after the death of Mr. Huskisson, it -cost each of the candidates over £40,000! The _Times_ of February 26, -1834, in a leading article on this election, says-- - - "On this occasion, likewise, votes rose in price as the contest - advanced, and towards its conclusion a single vote was sold for - £80! Nearly every freeman who came to poll was bribed. The - tickets given for enabling parties to claim payment from Mr. - Denison's committee amounted to two thousand; and one of the - witnesses having obtained these tickets, copied from them into a - poll-book, against the name of each voter, the sum which had been - paid him. The following is the analysis of the list of the other - candidate, Mr. Ewart's voters, with their respective prices, as - drawn up by his own law agent:-- - - 600 freemen received £10 and under. - 462 " " between £10 " £20 - 209 " " " £20 " £30 - 24 " " " £30 " £40 - 7 " " " £40 " £50 - 1 " " £60 - ---- - 1303 - - "One circumstance which disgracefully distinguished the bribery - practised on these two occasions, was the open, fearless, and - shameless manner in which it was conducted. The respective - parties advertised for supporters, and announced the price which - they were ready to give for votes on the walls of their committee - rooms. Tickets or tally-papers were openly distributed, which - were as regularly paid. The ingenious conductors of the election - had thus the merit of systemizing corruption--of making the sale - of consciences a counting-house affair, with the proper - assortment of promissory notes or poll-tickets and bags of gold, - with cashiers, examiners, and controllers of account! - - "Another most striking and most melancholy characteristic of the - contest was not only the universality of corruption among the - poorer freemen, but the height to which the tide rose among - persons in better circumstances, whom, but for the levelling - nature of the system and the gradual decay of the moral sense - which it produces, the infamy ought not to have reached. It was - mentioned by the treasurer of Mr. Ewart's committee that several - 'respectable' persons received large sums of money. A retired - brewer demanded £50; a captain in the militia received £35; three - brothers, 'respectable men,' were paid £30 a-piece; a druggist - and his father, both 'respectable men,' each received £20; and a - 'respectable man,' worth £10,000, as he came early in the - contest, was satisfied to pocket the paltry sum of £12!" - -The statue of the Duke of York was placed upon its column in Carlton -Gardens on April 11th, and the _Examiner_ of the 12th thus speaks of -it-- - - "The announcement of the newspapers that the elevation of the - Duke of York's statue was to be celebrated with military honours - drew a vast number of people to Carlton Gardens and the - neighbouring houses. There was, however, no military spectacle, - not even a military band to while away the time during the slow - process of hoisting up the statue, which did not reach the top of - the column till the people had dispersed, who had spent the day - in wondering what was to happen to requite them for their trouble - in coming to the spot and the tedium of waiting. Nothing was to - be seen but a bit of canvas fluttering in the bitter east wind, - showing the place of the statue, to which it served as wrapper. - The ascent was imperceptibly slow, such as sailors proverbially - say is the progress of lawyers to heaven. The weight of the - statue is said to be seven tons, and the height above thirteen - feet. A woman in the crowd, according to the _Globe_, observed, - 'The Duke of York was never so large as that.' The same criticism - was made by a learned judge on the statue of Canning at - Westminster, and his companion, Mr. Thesiger, agreeing that - Canning was not so large, readily perfected the criticism by - adding 'nor so green either.' - - "The statue of the Duke of York turns his back on the town and - his face to the Park. This arrangement was contrary to the - judgment of Mr. Westmacott, but insisted on by the Duke of - Wellington, who held it a point of propriety that the - Commander-in-Chief should face the Horse Guards. His Grace also - contends that it will be seen by more people from the Park below - than from Waterloo Place--another curious evidence of the - correctness of his observation. But this is not the Duke's first - mistake as to public views. It now seems that the Duke of York is - ashamed to show his face to the town, and, what to military - notions is worse, he turns his back on Waterloo Place. - - "On the base of the monument should be inscribed, 'He made - creditors pitied!'--an effect never before produced, as the - sympathies of the world generally runs with poor debtors, and - creditors are only thought of and talked of as 'hard' and - 'cruel.' No general in history was ever so heavily charged as the - Commander-in-Chief, and yet the charges of his creditors were the - only charges the general ever defeated." - -In May, people were much exercised about Trades' Unions, which were -then being formed, and, as is their nature, leading to strikes, some -of which were then becoming serious, as in the cases of the cotton -spinners and the journeymen tailors. An attempt was made to turn the -movement into ridicule, as shown by the following, but without -effect-- - - "CIRCULAR LETTER AND REGULATIONS FROM THE GRAND LODGE OF LADIES' - MAIDS. - - "MADAM, - - "By direction of the Friendly Society of Operative Ladies' Maids, - I have to inform you that, to stay the ruinous effects which a - destructive fashionable competition has so long been inflicting - on them, they have resolved to introduce certain new regulations - into their profession, which regulations they intend should - commence from Monday next; and I herewith beg to enclose a copy - of them-- - - "REGULATIONS. - - "No sister shall be allowed to work, except for herself, from the - first day of May to the last day of April. No sister shall plait, - brush, or dress her lady's hair, or wait upon her in - sickness--except for such extra remuneration as each sister shall - deem it expedient to ask. No sister shall be called before ten in - the morning, nor shall any sister remain in a service where she - is refused a fire in her own room, an armchair, a subscription to - a circulating library, the free use of her lady's clothes, and as - many followers as she may like to retain. No lady shall presume - to part with her maid or to hire another without the consent of - all the ladies' maids within four miles of Grosvenor Square. Nor - shall any lady buy any gown, bonnet, or any article of dress that - may not be made serviceable or profitable to her maid, nor shall - she be allowed to retain the same in wear after the Grand United - Lodge of Operative Ladies' Maids shall have declared it a lawful - perquisite. No sister shall be allowed to ask leave to go out, - nor shall any sister be contradicted or found fault with, neither - shall she be put up with a small looking-glass, nor with a room - with a northern aspect. - - "As the demands here specified are of so reasonable a nature, and - as, moreover, they are unquestionably calculated for the benefit - of the employers as well as the employed, the Society confidently - hopes that you will accede to them, and, henceforth, a mutual - confidence may be sustained between ladies and their maids, and - that they will, for the future, consent to lace each other's - stays, and dress each other's hair. - - "It only remains for me to add that your ladies' maids, members - of this Society, will cease to answer your bell, though you may - ring it ever so often, should you decline to act upon the new - regulations; and, further, I think it right to apprize you that, - in that case, they will think it no longer necessary to keep any - family secrets with which they may have made themselves - acquainted. - - "I am, Madam, Your obedient, humble servant, - "SARAH BROWN, - "Secretary to the Grand United Lodge - of Operative Ladies' Maids." - -People hardly knew what to make of these Trades' Unions, and, at their -beginning, they seemed to be somewhat antagonistic to authority, and -decidedly subversive of existing institutions. And, perhaps, in the -first flush of his emancipation, the working man had somewhat crude -ideas of his position, and was a little too fond of processions, -meetings, and showing himself in public. For instance, on April 15th, -there was a riot of a serious description at Oldham. On the previous -day, two members of a Trades' Union, at a meeting of their body, were -arrested by some policemen, after a desperate struggle. They were on -their road to Hollinwood, near Manchester, under the custody of two -officers, for the purpose of being examined, when a large crowd -attacked the officers, whom they beat severely, and rescued the -prisoners. This occurred in front of Bankside Mill, which belonged to -a Mr. Thompson, who was disliked by the Unionists on account of his -employment of "Knobsticks," or men not belonging to the Union. These -"Knobsticks" had been provided with arms for their defence, but, as it -turned out, used them for offence; for, appearing at the windows of -the building, they made a foolish display of their weapons, and fired -blank cartridge at the passing mob. One gun, at least, must have been -loaded with ball, for a man named James Bentley was killed. - -This so incensed the mob, that the windows of the manufactory were -immediately demolished, the dwelling house of the proprietor entered, -and a total destruction of its contents effected. The liquors were -drank in the cellars, the cabinets rifled and broken, the victuals -eaten, and about £50 in money stolen. One of the lower rooms was -filled with printing cloths, to which the mob set fire. The arrival of -a party of lancers eventually caused the dispersion of the mob. The -two Union men who were rescued afterwards surrendered, and were -liberated on bail; meanwhile, the town was in a state of great -confusion. A meeting of upwards of ten thousand operatives was held -next day on Oldham Edge or Moor, at which resolutions to support their -fellows were made. At a coroner's inquest subsequently held on the -body of the individual who was shot, a verdict of _manslaughter_ was -returned. - -The _Times_ of May 5th gives the following as-- - - "THE OATH OF THE UNIONISTS. - - "I (each party here to repeat his name), being in the presence - of Almighty God and this assembly, do voluntarily declare that I - will persevere in maintaining and supporting a brotherhood known - by the name of the United Operative . . . . . . of the Grand - National Consolidated Trades' Union of Great Britain and Ireland, - and I do further promise that I will, to the utmost of my power, - assist them, upon all just and lawful occasions, to obtain a just - remuneration for our labour; nor will I, knowingly, ever fill the - situation of, or finish the work of, any brother who has left his - employer in obedience to the ordinances and regulations of the - Consolidated Union aforesaid; and I call the Mighty Power who - made me, to witness this, my most solemn obligation, by which I - bind myself, that neither hopes nor fears, rewards nor - punishments, nor even the law of life itself, shall ever induce - me, directly or indirectly, to give information respecting - anything contained in this lodge, and that I will neither write, - nor cause to be written, anything appertaining thereto upon - paper, or upon anything else whatsoever, but for the purposes of - the aforesaid Union: and I do further promise to keep inviolable - all its rules, signs, and secrets. Neither will I ever give - consent to have any of its money divided, or appropriated to any - other purpose than to the uses of this lodge, and for the end of - the aforesaid Consolidated Union. And may God keep me steadfast - in this my most solemn obligation." - -It was for taking unlawful oaths, probably of this kind, that six men -had been convicted at Dorchester Assizes, a fact which so worked upon -the Trades' Unions of London, that on April 21st they met in their -might to the number of thirty thousand, in Copenhagen Fields, and -proceeded in procession to Whitehall to present a monster petition -(which it took twelve men to carry) in the convicts' favour, to the -Home Secretary. Lord Melbourne refused to receive it, thus brought, -but consented to see a deputation. This did not suit the agitators, -and, as the only answer they could get was that Lord Melbourne had -seen a copy of the petition; that he did not disapprove of its -language; and that, if that petition should be presented on another -day, and in a becoming manner, he would receive it and lay it before -the King;--they retired, taking the petition with them, rejoining and -reporting their interview to the main body of the procession, which -had halted on Kennington Common. This broke up the meeting, and the -crowd melted away, having behaved most peaceably. On the 24th the -petition was presented to Lord Melbourne by a deputation from the -Trades' Unions, and laid before the King in the usual way. - -On the death of Lord Grenville, the Duke of Wellington was made -Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He had previously received the -distinction of having been made (_in absentiâ_) a D.C.L. of the -University in 1814, when this honour was also bestowed on the Emperor -of Russia, the King of Prussia, and Marshal Blücher. At his -installation on June 10th he wore his Chancellor's robes of black silk -and gold, and H. B. has given us a very graphic portrait of him on -this occasion: and he was attended by the Marquis of Londonderry, Lord -Montague, Lord Apsley, Lord Hill, Lord Mohun, Sir George Murray, Sir -Henry Hardinge, Sir S. Acland, Sir Robert Inglis, and Sir Charles -Wetherell. There were likewise present eleven members of the -episcopal bench. Among the ladies were to be seen the Princess -Lieven, the Marchioness of Salisbury, and the Countesses of -Clanwilliam and Brownlow. The Rev. John Keble of Oriel, so well known -to us as the author of _The Christian Year_ (then professor of -poetry), wrote the installation ode--and the Duke's reception was -magnificent. - -[Illustration: Man.] - -The Princess Victoria had not long entered into her fifteenth year -when she had a lover, whose story is thus told by the _Courier_ of -July 24th:-- - - "A SUITOR TO ROYALTY. - - "A good deal of talk and merriment have been created in - Kensington, in consequence of the eccentricities of a gentleman, - said to hold a rank of some importance in the army, who has - fallen desperately in love with the Princess Victoria, and who, - for some months past, has taken every opportunity of manifesting - the ardour of his passion for her Royal Highness. From what can - be gathered of this eccentric gentleman's movements, it appears - that about the beginning of last spring he made some very - particular inquiries of the keeper at the Mount Gate, Kensington - Gardens, as to the Princess, wishing, in particular, to know the - best way in which he could obtain an introduction, and whether it - was most likely an interview would be granted at Kensington - Palace. - - "The gatekeeper referred the gentleman to the proper authorities - at the palace; after which he received three cards, containing, - as the gentleman said, his titles and dignity, with a request - that they should be immediately forwarded to her Royal Highness - the Princess Victoria. On the cards were written "The King of - Rome," "The Emperor of the Austrias," and "The Grand Lama of - Thibet." Several letters were sent to the palace by this - tripartite potentate, who was constantly seen promenading before - the palace and in the gardens, waiting to obtain the desired - interview with the Princess. One day, while the gatekeepers were - at dinner, he contrived to jump over the palings into the - shrubbery, and there plant a laurel, to which he affixed another - letter to the Princess Victoria; which, of course, when - discovered, was speedily removed. - - "From that time, this gentleman continued to pursue the same - system of eccentricity, and yesterday morning, having made some - further inquiries of the gatekeeper respecting the Princess, the - gatekeeper considered it to be the most prudent course to inform - Sir John Conroy of the persevering conduct of the enamoured - suitor. The gatekeeper having received his instructions, - proceeded to the station-house, and returned to the gardens - accompanied by Inspector McManus, of the T division. The - gatekeeper and the inspector then proceeded towards a bench in - the garden, where the individual in question had taken a seat. - The inspector told him he must take him into custody, unless he - would pledge his honour to abstain, in future, from the - ridiculous system of annoyance he had practised. The individual, - after some demur, gave the required promises, and was allowed to - leave the gardens, after having given a card, which contained, as - was presumed, his real name and rank, which was stated to be that - of a lieutenant-colonel. He was a tall, military-looking man, - with an umbrella and a bunch of lavender, and apparently about - forty-five years of age." - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -1834. - - Crockford's and game--The _chef_ in trouble--Burning of the - Houses of Parliament--The tapestry in the House of Lords--Story - of one piece--Temporary House of Lords--Tithe riots in - Ireland--Change of Ministry. - - -One would imagine that Crockford's gambling "hell" was too solemn a -place to extract laughter from, but yet there is a police case in -connection with that place, and in which the celebrated _chef_ Ude was -principally concerned, which is the reverse of serious. - - "On July 25th, M. Eustache Ude, the celebrated French cook, - appeared at Bow Street on a summons at the suit of the Marquess - of Queensberry, for unlawfully disposing of certain birds called - 'red game,' between the 19th of March and the 1st of August, - contrary to the provisions of the Game Laws. - - "Sir Roger Griesley deposed that he was a member of Crockford's - Club House, and one of the managing committee of that - establishment. The defendant was cook there, and on the 19th of - June witness dined at the club house, and saw grouse served in - the room, but did not partake of it. - - "M. Ude: Vell, my dear Sare Rojer, vat is all dis to me? - Certainement you must know dat I don't know vat de devil goes up - into de dining-room. How de devil can I tell veder black game, or - vite game, or red game go up to de dining-room? Dere is plenty of - game always go on in de house, but dat is noting to me. My only - business is to cook for de palates of dose who like de game. - - "Sir Roger Greisley: I really don't know what, in common justice, - M. Ude can have to do in this matter. He is the cook of the - establishment certainly, but he only prepares what is ordered. - The committee order the things, and he provides according to that - order. - - "M. Ude: Tank you, my dear Sare Rojer. I knew you vould get me - out of de scrape vot de noble marquis has got me into dis time. - - "Charles, Marquess of Queensberry, sworn: I was a member of the - committee at Crockford's, but am not now. I was at Crockford's on - the 19th, and dined, and grouse was served at the table. - - "M. Ude: But, my noble friend (great laughter), as I said to my - friend Sare Rojer, I know noting at all about vot vent into de - room. I never sawed it at all. De orders are given to me. I send - my people to de butcher, and to de poulterer, and to de - fishmonger, and de tings are brought, and I command dem to be - cooked, and dey are cooked, and dat is all I know about it. - - "Sir F. Roe: Whether you know it or not, the Act of Parliament - makes you liable. - - "M. Ude: Upon my honour, dat is very hard. Ven I got de summons I - remonstrated vid my Lord Alvanley, and he say, 'Oh, never mind, - Ude, say dey vere pigeons, instead of grouse.' 'Ah, my lord,' say - I, 'I cannot do better dan call dem pigeons, because dat bird is - so common in dis house.' (Loud laughter.) - - "Sir F. Roe, who appeared greatly to enjoy the scene, said he - must, upon the oaths of the noble marquess and Sir Roger - Griesley, convict the defendant; but he should certainly put the - lowest penalty, namely, 5_s._ - - "M. Ude: Vel, I shall pay de money, but it is dam hard. Ve have - always game in our house, and de poor devil of a cook have to pay - de penalty for it. (Great laughter.)" - -By the Budget of July 25th, the House Tax, which was imposed in 1695, -was repealed, as was also the stamp duty on almanacks, which had -existed since 1710. - -The talk of the year was, undoubtedly, the burning of both Houses of -Parliament on the evening of October 16th, caused by the overheating -of a flue whilst some workmen were burning a quantity of old Exchequer -tallies. The following account is taken from the _Annual Register_. - - "The two Houses of Parliament, with nearly all their various - offices, the old Painted Chamber, associated with a thousand - historical reminiscences, the libraries of the two houses, etc., - all fell a prey to a destructive fire, which broke out about - half-past six o'clock in the evening. The flames suddenly burst - forth near the entrances of the two houses, and immediately burnt - with a fury almost unparalleled. In less than half an hour from - the first discovery of the flames, the whole interior of the - building from the ground floor to the roof presented, through the - numerous windows with which it was studded, one entire mass of - fire. Thousands of persons instantly assembled, the engines were - in attendance, the police and soldiery on the spot, and every - exertion was made to save the public papers and other important - documents, vast quantities of which were conveyed to a place of - safety, although many were unfortunately consumed. - - "All attempts to save the House of Lords proving abortive, the - firemen directed their attention wholly towards the House of - Commons, and to the preservation of Westminster Hall. The wind, - which previous to this time had blown from the south, at eight - o'clock veered somewhat towards the west, thus throwing the - flames immediately upon the House of Commons, the angle of which, - abutting upon the House of Lords, caught fire; and, - notwithstanding the utmost exertions of the firemen, assisted by - the military, the roof ignited, and fell in with a tremendous - crash, accompanied with an immense volume of flame and smoke, and - emitting in every direction millions of sparks and flakes of - fire. This appearance, combined with the sound, resembling the - report of a piece of heavy ordnance, induced the assembled - multitude to believe that an explosion of gunpowder had taken - place. - - "The flames now took a different direction; but the danger to the - Hall appeared more imminent than ever. From the House of Commons - the fire appeared to retrograde, as well as to advance, and, - whilst the Speaker's house (which was partially burnt) was placed - in jeopardy on the one side, the range of Committee-rooms, - situate immediately over the members' entrance to the House of - Commons, opposite to Henry VII. chapel, appeared to be entirely - enveloped by the devouring element. A dense black column of smoke - issued from the roof of this part of the building, which was - almost immediately followed by a large column of flame, and the - south end of the wall was therefore at this time encompassed by - burning edifices. At this period several engines were introduced - into the Hall, and an immense quantity of water was distributed - over every part of the building. The firemen and soldiers - employed on the exterior of the building also redoubled their - exertions, apparently wholly regardless of the danger to which - they were exposed by the falling of burning rafters and the - showers of molten lead which poured down upon them on every side. - Their efforts were eventually crowned with success. That - venerable structure escaped comparatively uninjured, as did the - official residence of the Speaker. - - "From an official statement published by the Commissioners of - Woods and Forests, it appears that, in the House of Lords, the - Robing-rooms, the Committee-rooms in the west front, the rooms of - the resident officers, as far as the octagon tower at the south - end of the building, the Painted Chamber, and the north end of - the Royal Gallery, abutting on the Painted Chamber, from the door - leading into that chamber as far as the first compartment of - columns, are totally destroyed. The Library and the adjoining - rooms, as well as the Parliament offices, and the offices of the - Lord Great Chamberlain, together with the Committee-rooms, - housekeeper's apartments, etc., in this building are saved. - - [Illustration: Burning of the Houses of Parliament, October 16, - 1834.] - - "In the House of Commons, the House, Libraries, Committee-rooms, - housekeeper's apartments, etc. (excepting the Committee-rooms - Nos. 11, 12, 13, and 14, which are capable of being repaired), - the official residence of Mr. Ley, clerk of the House, and all - the rooms of the Speaker's house, from the oriel window to the - south side of the House of Commons, are entirely destroyed. The - state drawing-room under the House of Commons, the Levee-rooms, - together with the public galleries and part of the cloisters, are - very much damaged. - - "The loss of records sustained is not important, nearly - everything of value having been printed; but among those of the - House of Commons destroyed, are the test and qualification rolls, - signed by the members after taking their oaths; and the original - Warrant for the execution of Charles I. is said to be missing - from the House of Lords.[15] ... The books in the lower library - of the House of Commons were saved; but those in the upper room, - including the quantity lately received from France, were - destroyed. The lover of ancient art has to regret the tapestry of - the Spanish Armada, the fragments of ancient painting in the - Painted Chamber, and St. Stephen's Chapel; and the probable - necessary demolition of, at least, the latter of those - structures. Some fine relics of ecclesiastical architecture will, - however, still be preserved in the Speaker's house. A curiosity - saved from the fire, is an oak table marked with the blood of - Perceval." - -[Footnote 15: This, luckily, was not the case, as it is still in -keeping at the House of Lords.] - -Luckily, drawings of the tapestry hangings in the House of Lords had -been made, and a fine set of engravings of them were published by John -Pine in 1739. There were ten pieces, each illustrating some phase in -the attacks and defeats of the Spanish Armada; and _Joachim de -Sandvart_ tells us[16] that the designs for this tapestry were made by -_Henry Cornelius Vroom_, a famous painter of Haarlem, eminent for his -great skill in drawing all kinds of shipping; and that it was woven by -_Francis Spiring_. There is a bit of a story attached to one piece of -this tapestry, vide the _Times_, Dec. 5th-- - -[Footnote 16: Academia Artis Pictoriæ Noribergæ, p. 274.] - - "At the time the gallery in the late House of Lords was erected, - the tapestry was removed from that portion of the wall which - faced the throne, in order to make way for the gallery; and the - tapestry so taken down, forming part of the ancient and - well-known painting of the Spanish Armada, was placed for safety - in a room appropriated to the Lord Chamberlain. The tapestry lay - there for some time; but it would appear that little value was - attached to it. Subsequently, a servant of Major McArthur, - conceiving that the tapestry was little better than a useless - piece of lumber, offered it, as a present, to a man named Ware, - one of the ticket porters employed about the House of Lords; who, - however, would not accept it as a present, but gave the servant - five shillings for it. He, subsequently, sold it for fifteen - shillings to a broker named Preston, who in turn, made cent. per - cent. upon the article, having sold it for thirty shillings to - Mr. Thorn, in whose possession it remained. The tapestry lay - among other curious articles for some time in the ware room of - Mr. Thorn; and, after the destruction by fire of the Houses of - Lords and Commons, he considered that his purchase might be - turned to good advantage. As it now became a precious relic of - what the flames had destroyed, he set upon it a considerable - price (said to be no less a sum than £400). The tapestry was, for - some time, exhibited to the curious customers by whom his shop - was frequented; and, at length, Mr. Thorn, conceiving that his - Majesty's Government might feel desirous to become the purchasers - of so curious a memorial, wrote to Lord Melbourne upon the - subject, and, subsequently, to his Grace the Duke of Wellington; - in consequence of which, the Commissioners of Woods and Forests - ordered an inquiry to be instituted, with a view to ascertain by - what means Mr. Thorn became possessed of the tapestry." - -The inquiry ended in the tapestry being restored to Mr. Thorn. - -Parliament, which had been prorogued to October 23rd, had to be -further delayed in its meeting till November 25th, the library of the -House of Lords being fitted up for the ceremony of prorogation. It -represented the old House as nearly as possible. At one end was a -gold-burnished chair, which had to do duty for the splendid throne (of -Geo. IV.) which was destroyed; and in front of it appeared a seat or -form for the Lords Commissioners, and a miniature representation of -the woolsack; there were also benches on each side, and even cross -benches, all duly covered with scarlet cloth. There was a large table -in the centre of the chamber, and on it were the identical boxes that -heretofore had appeared on the table of the old House. The Commons -assembled in the committee-rooms, Nos. 4 and 5, which had not been -touched by the fire. - -It was determined that the House of Lords should be immediately fitted -up for the next session of the House of Commons, and the Painted -Chamber for the House of Lords; which, Sir Robert Smirke reported, -might be effected at an expense of £30,000. These works were -immediately commenced, and the Houses were ready for the reception of -members, when they met again on February 19th of next year. - -_Apropos_ of this conflagration, Raikes says in his _Journal_-- - - "Mr. Hume, during the last session, had been proposing, without - success, a vote to build a larger House of Commons; a wag in the - crowd, watching the progress of the conflagration, exclaimed, - 'There is Mr. Hume's motion carried without a division.'" - -It had not been a very eventful Parliament, that of 1834. A Bill for -the removal of the civil disabilities of the Jews was passed in the -Commons and thrown out in the Lords, as was also a modified Coercion -Bill for Ireland. But that did not prevent outrages in that country, -which were still frequent. One of the most deplorable of the tithe -riots was in December, and took place at Rathcormack, county Cork. The -tithes had been attempted to be levied in November, but so much -obstruction had been made, that troops were applied for, and were -furnished on the 15th of December. On that day every disposition to -resist was shown by the country people; but, although it was necessary -to read the Riot Act, the persons employed in the collection of the -tithe succeeded in levying part of the sums due. On the 18th, a larger -number of persons assembled, and attempted to obstruct the -magistrates, and the civil and military force which accompanied them. -The end of a lane which led to a farm-house was blocked up by a car; -and a body of about six hundred men resisted its removal and the -further progress of the party. Orders were given by the magistrates to -clear the passage; the violence of the people became greater. The Riot -Act was then read. The troops were assailed with volleys of stones; -some of the soldiers and officers were knocked down; and, after every -attempt to persuade the people to disperse had failed, the magistrates -ordered the troops to fire. This they did, and a considerable number -of the mob were wounded, and several killed. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -On November 14th Lord Melbourne put his resignation and that of his -colleagues into the hands of the King, who applied to the Duke of -Wellington to form a new cabinet; but the Duke advised his sovereign -to entrust this duty to Sir Robert Peel, and as Sir Robert was -spending the winter in Italy, he offered to carry on the public -business until he could return. A messenger was at once sent off, who -arrived in Rome on November 25th. Sir Robert left next day, reached -England on December 9th, and by the end of December the official -arrangements of the new ministry were complete. This was the third -ministry in 1834, the premiers being Earl Grey, Lord Melbourne, and -Sir R. Peel. - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -The dresses illustrated are two for walking, one dinner, and one for a -ball. The front and back of a cap are also shown. - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -1835. - - First cargo of ice to India--Election riots at Halifax and in - Scotland--A female sailor--The new temporary Houses of - Parliament--The King and others hissed--Question of admitting - ladies--A political skit--Deaths of Hunt and Cobbett. - - -The chronicle of this year must be made up of odds and ends, for there -is no one thing of absorbing interest to record. And first, we find a -paragraph in The _Times_ of January 11th (quoting the _Mechanic's -Magazine_), headed - - "EXPORTATION OF ICE TO INDIA. - - "Lord William Bentinck has presented to Mr. Rogers, supercargo of - the ship _Tuscany_, a handsome silver vase, bearing the following - inscription: 'Presented by Lord William Bentinck, - Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in India, to Mr. Rogers, - of Boston, in acknowledgment of the spirit and enterprise which - projected and successfully executed the first attempt to export - (_sic_) a cargo of American ice into Calcutta.' The quantity of - ice landed by the _Tuscany_ was about one hundred tons, and the - selling price being 6-1/2 cents per lb., it is calculated that - the owners received $12,500 upon an investment which, including - the cost of all the extra precautions for preserving the ice, did - not exceed $500." - -Owing to the resignation of the ministry in November, 1834, Parliament -was dissolved, and a General Election took place--which, after the -manner of the times, conduced to riotous behaviour in several places. -At the close of the poll at Halifax, on January 14th, the yellow, or -Reforming party, attacked various houses, public and private. In some, -they contented themselves with breaking windows only; in others, they -entered the premises, broke all the window frames, window shutters, -inside and out, and other wood-work, and completely demolished every -article of furniture within their reach. The mob, three hundred in -number, entered the house of Mr. J. Norris, simultaneously, through -the dining-room windows, library windows, and by breaking down the -principal door. All the windows were broken to pieces--the window -frames, in many places; and the whole furniture in the dining-room and -library, and all the pictures, with the exception of six or eight, -which were badly injured, were destroyed; whilst the plate was stolen, -the bookcase was smashed, and quantities of books were taken from the -shelves and torn to pieces. These, with music books and prints, were -scattered over the lawn in front of the house, and in the garden, -until the place looked as if it had been covered with snow. A grand -piano was smashed to atoms, together with other musical instruments; a -marble mantelpiece was broken, and the place was wrecked. - -A similar attack on the vicarage was repelled. At Shaw Lodge, the -residence of Mr. J. Holdsworth, the mob entered the house, and -demolished all before them. At the Field, Mr. J. Staveley's house was -attacked and entered, and all the furniture, pictures, etc., were -smashed, as well as the windows and window frames of the house and -warehouse adjoining. Many other houses were attacked and received -different degrees of damage, and the mob did not disperse till the -arrival of a troop of lancers. - -In Scotland, serious rioting took place at Jedburgh and Hawick, -polling places for the County of Selkirk, when Captain Elliot, the -ministerial candidate, was defeated by Lord John Scott. On the morning -of January 17th, the second day of polling, the Jedburgh mob, having -learned the probable success of the Conservative candidate, began to -assume a surly aspect. Lord John Scott, on making his appearance, was -loudly hissed; and, when leaving the town, a few ruffians assaulted -him, by throwing pieces of ice, etc., but, fortunately, without doing -him any injury. In the afternoon, when the certain defeat of Captain -Elliot's party became evident, symptoms of restlessness were displayed -by a great part of the crowd, and several voters and others, in the -interest of his lordship, could only with great difficulty reach the -polling place; later in the evening the conduct of many of those -assembled became more outrageous, and several of the friends of Lord -John Scott were struck and abused by the mob; but the streets were -quiet at night. - -At Hawick, the mob was much more riotous. On the 16th, the first day -of polling, notwithstanding the strong constabulary force sworn in for -the occasion, the crowd got very noisy, and used every sort of -annoyance to the voters for Lord John Scott, such as pushing, -spitting, throwing stones and snowballs, and tearing clothes, etc., -while they cheered the voters for Captain Elliot. As the day advanced, -the rabble got worse and worse, insulting and maltreating all voters, -and others friendly to his lordship's cause, in defiance of the -strenuous efforts of the sheriff and a number of the justices of the -peace, the bailies and others. The Sheriff ultimately found it -necessary to read the Riot Act. - -On closing the poll for the day, the mob surrounded the Tower Inn -(where Lord John's voters were), and, whenever any person attempted to -leave the inn to go home, he was immediately attacked and abused; in -consequence of which a great number were compelled to remain at the -inn during the night. The doors of the inn were frequently attempted -to be forced open, most of the windows were broken; and, in the course -of the night, the windows of the houses of many of the inhabitants -were riddled with stones. An additional number of constables were -sworn in on Saturday. - -The mob appeared more desperate than on the preceding day, and every -means of intimidation were practised to prevent Lord John's voters -coming forward; in one case where a voter in that interest was going -to the booth in a carriage, the crowd attempted to upset it--and, upon -his voting and returning from the booth, he was seized, in spite of -the efforts of the constables, and abused and maltreated. The Riot Act -was again read, and the town became quieter, especially when a troop -of the Scot's Greys arrived. Captain Elliot, the defeated candidate, -in his address after the election, thanked the populace for their -orderly conduct! - -I have given these as specimens of ante-ballot elections in time when -William IV. was King. - -Most of us know the ballad of _Billee Taylor_, how he was impressed -and taken to sea--and how - - "Soon his true love followed 'arter - Under the name of Richard Carr, - And her lily white hands she daubed all over - With the nasty pitch and tar." - -And some of us may probably know the true history of Mary Ann Talbot, -who fought both in the army and navy, and was wounded both in the -ankle and in the thigh, a little above the knee, in the action of the -"Glorious First of June." She lay in Haslar Hospital without her sex -being discovered, afterwards was taken prisoner by the French; then -shipped to America as steward, and when going a voyage to the -Mediterranean, was impressed, and discovered her sex rather than serve -again in the navy. - -But her story belongs to the latter part of the eighteenth and -beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Here is one, happening in this -year, and is thus reported in all the newspapers of the time, and in -the _Annual Register_. - - "MANSION HOUSE, 10th Feb.--The Lord Mayor having observed a - statement in the _Observer_ newspaper relative to a female who - for some time past had performed the duties of a seaman, directed - an inspector of police to make inquiries into the circumstances, - in order that, if the girl required assistance, it might be - rendered to her, without subjecting her to annoyance. The - inspector now appeared before the Lord Mayor, accompanied by the - girl, the captain of the vessel in which she came to London, and - several gentlemen who felt an interest in the remarkable details - of the case. - - "Captain McIntire, of the _Sarah_, from Belfast, stated that he - met the girl, whose name is Ann Jane Thornton, at St. Andrew's, - in North America. She was dressed in sailor's clothes, and had - all the appearance of having been brought up to that employment. - He engaged her at nine dollars a month to act as cook and - steward, and considered that she was what she seemed to be, until - a few days before the arrival of the vessel in the port of - London. It appeared that some of the crew had suspected her sex - before she was seen washing in her berth, from the circumstance - of her having repeatedly refused to drink grog. - - "The Lord Mayor: It has been reported that she was ill-treated by - her captain and the crew. I wish to be particularly informed upon - that point. Captain McIntire said he would call upon the girl to - say whether he had not uniformly treated her with kindness, and - whether, when her sex was discovered, the degree of kindness and - care was not increased. The girl declared that Captain McIntire - had acted towards her with humanity, and had desired her to - complain to him if any of the crew attempted to treat her - harshly. She had been, in the course of the voyage, struck by - some of the sailors, because she could not work as hard as they - did--a thing she found it difficult to do in a gale of wind, but - she did not tell the captain, as she determined to endure as much - as possible, without grumbling. - - "The Lord Mayor: Is it possible that this mere girl, for she - cannot be more than sixteen or seventeen years of age, performed - the duties of a seaman? - - "Captain McIntire: It is, my lord. She performed them to - admiration. She would run up to hand (_sic_) the topgallant sail - in any sort of weather, and we had a severe passage. Poor girl! - she had a hard time of it, she suffered greatly from the wet, but - she bore it all excellently, and was a capital seaman. - - "The Lord Mayor: Is the account of the romantic pursuit of the - person she is said to be attached to correct? Is it true that she - went to America after the captain who was said to be her - sweetheart? - - "McLean said that the account she had given him corresponded with - that which had appeared before the public; but she would, - herself, mention the particulars. - - "Captain McIntire said that he had no doubt of the correctness of - her statement. She was not at all given to loquacity. On the - contrary, she did the duty of a seaman without a murmur, and had - infinitely better use of her hands than of her tongue. - - "This description of the female sailor seemed to be accurate. Her - hands appeared as if they were covered with thick brown leather - gloves, and it was only by repeated questioning the Lord Mayor - got from her the facts, of which the following is the substance-- - - "Ann Jane Thornton stated that she is in the seventeenth year of - her age. Her father, who is now a widower, took her and the rest - of his family from Gloucestershire, where she was born, to - Donegal, when she was six years old. He was owner of stores in - that part of Ireland, and in good circumstances, and was always - affectionate to her. She regretted that she had quitted her home, - for her departure, of which she had given no previous notice to - her father, must have caused him many a sorrowful hour. When she - was only thirteen years old, she met Captain Alexander Burke, - whose father resided in New York, and was the owner of vessels - there; and, before she was fifteen, they became strongly attached - to each other. Soon after, Burke was obliged to go to New York, - and she took up the resolution to follow him. She quitted her - father's house accompanied by a maid-servant and a boy, and, - having procured a cabin-boy's dress, she exerted herself to - obtain a passage to America. The servant-maid and boy took leave - of her immediately upon her embarking, the latter being charged - with a message to her father, informing him of her intention. By - degrees she became reconciled to the labours of her new - employment, but she beheld with joy the shores of New York, where - she thought her labours would terminate. The moment she landed, - she went off in her cabin-boy's dress to the house of Captain - Burke's father, and said that she had worked under the captain's - orders, and wished to be engaged by him again. It was by the - father of the young man she was informed that his son had died - only a few days before. America, however, was no place in which - to look for sympathy. In the belief that the sea (which no doubt - her affection for Burke recommended to her) was a more probable - mode of existence than any she could adopt in the dress of her - sex, she applied for and obtained a situation as cook and steward - in the _Adelaide_, and, subsequently, in the _Rover_, in which - latter vessel she sailed to St. Andrew's, where she fell in with - Captain McIntire. The captain of the _Rover_ had agreed to take - her to Belfast, but he received an order from the owners to sail - for the West Indies, and, as she was resolved to return to her - father as soon as possible, she refused to accompany him. For - thirty-one months she had been engaged in these remarkable - adventures, and participated in the most severe toils of the - crews of which she formed part. - - "The Lord Mayor: And are you not weary of so harassing a life? - - "Girl: Yes. I am anxious to get home. I hope and believe that my - father will forgive me for the sorrow I have caused him. I have - had my own sorrows, too. - - "The Lord Mayor: How did it happen that you fancied the sailor's - dress, well knowing that by assuming the appearance of one you - pledged yourself to perform such terrible duties? - - "Girl: I couldn't think of any other way, and I did the duties as - well as I could. I underwent a good deal. I travelled from East - Port in North America to St. Andrew's by myself, a distance of - seventy miles through the woods. I walked all the way. - - "The Lord Mayor: And without sustaining any injury? - - "Girl: I received none. I knew the sailor's clothes would carry - me through safe, and at St. Andrew's I met Captain McIntire. - - "The Lord Mayor: I will give directions that you be taken care - of until I can hear from your father, to whom I shall write - to-night. You have done him great wrong by abandoning him under - any pretence, but you have suffered bitterly for your - disobedience. - - "The information which the Lord Mayor received from Ireland was - that, soon after the girl had left her home, her father had - emigrated, with many others, to Canada, for the purpose of - seeking his fortune among the numberless adventurers who ran away - from Irish turbulence and starvation at that period, and that he - had sent back no intelligence to Ireland since his departure. In - Donegal, however, a sister of the young woman was found to - reside, who expressed great joy at hearing of her relation. The - Lord Mayor gave the girl adequate means of defraying her expenses - to Donegal." - -Parliament was to meet on February 19th, and there was but scant time -to prepare and furnish places for them to meet in. As these temporary -premises have long since been consigned to limbo, and as even very -little tradition remains of them, I may be pardoned for giving a short -contemporary account of them, which contrasts forcibly with the -beautiful palace in which our legislature is now housed. - - "The approaches to the House of Lords are very limited; the - Peers, as well as the King, must enter by the Royal doorway and - gallery throughout the session, and both parties must enter the - body of the house by the same doorway--namely, that at the end of - the Royal Gallery, formerly opening into the Painted Chamber, now - the House of Lords. Facing this doorway is the woolsack, and a - very small one it is compared with its predecessor; and, - immediately behind it, and to the right of the doorway, is - stationed the throne, against that end of the House which abuts - upon the Thames; this, like the woolsack, is of very diminished - proportions, when contrasted with the grand and gorgeous affair - in the former House of Lords, as may be inferred when it is - stated that it is the identical throne constructed for George - IV.'s Council Chamber in a room in Carlton House. - - "The present House of Lords is remarkably narrow, as may be - imagined from the fact that the cross benches (the arrangement of - the old house being followed, though somewhat in miniature) will - not conveniently accommodate three or four peers each. There are - side galleries for the peers, approached by staircases in the - body of the House, but in line with the bar. All the furniture, - the forms, etc., are covered with crimson and brass binding, as - was the case in the former House. There are six richly gilt - chandeliers, suspended by long lacquered chains, for the purpose - of lighting the House. Both Houses are to be heated by steam - apparatus, similar to that used in King's College Chapel, etc. In - the Lords the conductors appear in the House, but are neatly - enclosed with iron casings: in the Commons the heat ascends - through a large grating in the centre of the floor of the House. - - "There is a large gallery for strangers in the House of Lords, - that is, that it projects well into the House, instead of being - out of the House, as was the case with the accommodation formerly - accorded by their Lordships. The front row of this gallery is - arranged for the Press, separated from the rest of the gallery by - a high partition, or backboard, and approachable at the end of - the gallery by a passage for the exclusive advantage of the front - row. - - "The arrangement of seats in the Commons differs materially from - that which characterized St. Stephen's. Here, all is remarkably - open. There are no places under the gallery; all the members' - seats, to the very end of the House, and even in the members' - side galleries (there being no woodwork, only two iron rails in - front) are as visible to all the House as the Treasury or - Opposition benches, so that there will no longer be the - opportunities of retreating into recesses or behind curtains, and - there indulge in high-sounding sleep, or in still more - unparliamentary, because far more modern, exclamations and - imitations, when midnight may have approached, to give notice - that the 'crowing' of the cock or the 'braying' of patient - steeds may be expected. These things may again distinguish the - assembly, but those who contribute to such distinction must now, - at least, be _seen_ by strangers as well as members. This may not - be without its good effect in awing even the most refractory into - something like respect for others, if they have no great deal for - themselves. The woodwork is entirely of oak, and the seats are - covered with green leather. The Speaker's chair is constructed - like the old chair, which was after a design furnished by Sir C. - Wren, though that chair is introduced in the celebrated picture - of Oliver Cromwell desiring the 'bauble' to be removed. The Royal - arms are not at the top, as that would have intercepted the view - of the gallery behind the Chair, which will be chiefly - appropriated to the press, and under the Speaker's control." - -At the opening of Parliament, the Dukes of Cumberland and Wellington, -several of the bishops, and some members of the House of Commons, were -soundly hissed; nay, the King himself, when he opened Parliament on -the 24th, was served the same, and two men were taken up for the said -offence--one of them not only having groaned in a violent manner, but -having called out, "There goes a d--d villain." Both had to find bail -to keep the peace, self in £40, and two sureties in £20, which, not -being forthcoming, they were locked up in default. - -Whilst on the subject of this new Parliament, I may mention that on -March 12th, the Hon. C. Berkeley gave notice that on May 1st he should -move that a portion of the Strangers' Gallery in that House be set -apart for the accommodation of ladies--which elicited "great -laughter." But his motion never came off, for, on the date fixed, the -House was in its Easter vacation, but was referred to a committee to -report on. On April 9th Sir Robert Peel and his ministry resigned, and -was succeeded by Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister. - -Anent this, on June 1st, two men were charged at Bow Street, with -causing a great mob by halloaing forth an harangue, entitled, "The -political form of Matrimony between the Whigs and the people"; a -portion of which is as follows:-- - - "Now, there was a man in the House of Incurables, whose name was - Melbourne, and that man was perfect and upright. There was a day - when the Reformers came to present themselves before the King and - Bobby;[17] and Billy[18] said unto Bobby, 'Whence comest thou?' - And Bobby answered, 'From going to and fro from St. Stephen's.' - And Billy said, 'My servant Melbourne is perfect and upright, and - one that feareth the King and supporteth the rights of the - people.' And Bobby said, 'Do they serve the people for nought? - Put forth thine hand and touch his office, and he will mock the - people to their face, place for place, pension for pension--yea, - all that the Whigs have, will they give for their pensions.' And - Billy then said to Bobby, 'His office is in thy power.' And a - messenger came unto Melbourne and said, 'Thy Ministry is - dissolved, and Bobby is chosen in thy stead, and I alone am left - to tell thee.' Then Melbourne arose and rent his wig, and shaved - his head, and fasted three days in sackcloth and ashes. - 'Pensionless came I unto office, and pensionless shall I go out. - Billy gave, and Billy taketh away; and blessed be the name of - Billy.'" - -[Footnote 17: Sir Robert Peel.] - -[Footnote 18: The King.] - -Lord Melbourne, however, remained Premier during the whole of the -King's reign. Whilst on politics, I may mention that two noted -Radicals died this year--Henry Hunt in February, and William Cobbett -on June 18th. - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -1835. - - Gambling house police case--Curious superstition--A cook's letter - to her mistress--Jews and public employment--Fire at Hatfield - House--Curious discovery of jewels--Scarcity in Ireland. - - -Under the year 1833, I called attention to the prevalence of -gaming-houses, but, in spite of the efforts made to put them down, -they still flourished, as we see from the annexed police report, taken -from the _Times_ of July 7th. - - "MARLBOROUGH STREET.--William Smart, the proprietor of a - gaming-house in the Quadrant, called the 'Regent Circus Club,' - appeared before Mr. Dyer, yesterday, on a warrant charging him - with committing an assault on a man named John Ward, under the - following circumstances. The complainant stated that he had for - some time filled a situation in the gaming-house kept by the - defendant, but no longer wishing to have anything to do with such - disgraceful proceedings, he gave the defendant warning to leave; - but, when he applied for his wages, he was attacked by the - defendant, and most cruelly beaten by him. - - "The defendant, in answer to the charge, stated it was totally - false, and that the first assault had been committed by the - complainant himself. The truth was, that he had been discharged - from his situation on account of his having retained some money - which did not belong to him. The complainant denied this - statement, and said that his reason for leaving the service was - on account of the disgust he felt at the proceedings that were - going forward, and the system of robbery that was practised upon - the gentlemen who went to the defendant's house. He here handed - to the magistrate a couple of the dice that were made use of in - the defendant's house, saying, at the same time, that they were - loaded for the purposes of deception. - - "Mr. Dyer, after examining the dice, said that although it was - certainly very disgraceful, if it were true, to make use of such - instruments to rob the persons who might be foolish enough to - enter a house of such a description, yet that had nothing to do - with the present question. He considered the assault proved, and - therefore called upon the defendant to find bail. - - "A person, who said he attended professionally for the defendant, - said they had now to make a charge against the complainant of - having wilfully broken a valuable pane of plate glass. It - appeared that this occurrence took place at a house of a similar - description to that kept by the defendant, and which belonged to - one of his friends or a relation, called 'The Melton Club,' in - Park Lane. - - "Ward, the complainant, said that he went there for the purpose - of asking for his money, but could not gain admittance. He - accidentally broke the window, and gained admission as far as - 'the tiger.' - - "Mr. Dyer asked what was meant by 'the tiger?' - - "Ward replied that it meant the second door at a gaming-house, - which was a very strong one, which enabled the persons inside to - shut out any one they did not like to admit. - - "Mr. Dyer asked the person who made the charge why it had not - been brought forward before?--He replied that it was so paltry, - that he did not think it worth while to bring it forward. - - "Mr. Dyer said that, whether it was a paltry one or not, it would - have looked much better if it had been brought forward before a - charge had been made by the complainant. He then said that the - defendant must find bail for the assault, and, with respect to - the counter-charge which had been made, he should not interfere - in it, but leave the parties to take their legal remedies." - -In this year was finished a monument to the memory of George IV., -which was erected at Battle Bridge, now known as King's Cross. It was -a composition statue of the king, about eleven feet high, and it stood -atop of an octagon building of brick and cement, which was used first -as a police station, and afterwards as a public house, whilst the -pediment of the statue was utilized as a "Camera obscura." It was -demolished in 1845, and it is said that the basis of the statue's nose -was a draining tile, and that it was offered to a gentleman for -sixpence! - -We come across a curious superstition. Two men were executed for -burglary, at Horsham, on August 22nd, when the silly custom of passing -the hands of the dead men over the necks of two or three females, as a -supposed cure for the glandular enlargements, was upon this occasion -had recourse to. And the _Times_ of April 24, 1837, quoting the -_Gloucester Journal_, has in a paragraph headed "REVOLTING BEHAVIOUR -OF A HANGMAN," with which I will not horrify my readers, the -following: "Several women were on the platform to have their necks -charmed by rubbing the dead man's hands over their wens as a cure." - -But if we get horrible paragraphs in the papers, we also occasionally -meet with amusing ones, as this from the _Times_ of September 22nd-- - - "MARCH OF INTELLECT. - - "We can vouch (says the _Bristol Mirror_) for the authenticity of - the following copy of a letter from her late servant, to - Mrs.---- - - "'Dear Madam, I cannot enter into the family of the Hon. ----, - without returning you many thanks for your unsteady and - dishonourable character. I am truly sorry that you have been so - unfortunate in your four cooks since I left, and trust the fifth - will be as indifferent; but your cruel and _unladylike_ - insinuations could have no weight where my _real_ character was - so well known. - - "'From your grateful friend, ----, - - "'P.S.--Farewell-- - - "'May the turf where thy old reliques rest - Bear herbs, odoriferous herbs, on thy breast: - Their heads, thyme and sage, and pot marjoram wave, - And fat be the gander that feeds on thy grave.'" - -Although the disabilities under which the Jews laboured were not -removed by Act of Parliament, public opinion was decidedly in favour -of the freedom of the Israelite. Mr. (afterwards Sir) Francis -Goldsmid, was the first Jew that was ever called to the English bar, -and this took place in 1833. According to the _Times_ of November -18th, quoting the _Liverpool Albion_, it was in 1835 that a Jew was a -juror in a law court for the first time. - - "It may be noted, as a novelty, that Mr. Joseph Hess, - silversmith, of Lord Street, was the first person of the Jewish - persuasion who ever discharged the duties of a juryman in any of - the courts of this country; that gentleman, after having been - sworn on the Pentateuch, forming one of the grand jury panel at - the Kirkdale Quarter Sessions." - -And the first Jewish alderman and sheriff of the City of London, was -Mr. Sheriff (afterwards Sir) David Salamons, who was elected to the -vacant gown of Aldgate Ward, on November 21st. - -One incident which set all tongues wagging, about this time, was the -great fire at Hatfield House, on November 27th, and the death of the -Marchioness of Salisbury (grandmother of our present premier) by -burning. She had only arrived at Hatfield on the previous day, and on -the afternoon of the 27th she retired, a short time before dinner, to -her dressing-room to write a few letters. At five o'clock her maid -entered her apartment, and found her writing by the light of two -candles. Her ladyship complained of the dimness of the light, and -requested her maid to bring her a bedroom candle, which she did, and -left the marchioness, who wore a very lofty headdress, writing by -these three candles. - -About half-past five fear was felt by the female servants of the -house, in consequence of the volumes of smoke. The marquis and -marchioness were alarmed, and the marquis tried to force his way into -his mother's dressing-room, but found it so full of flame and smoke, -as to render all hopes of rescuing her utterly desperate. The fire -bell was rung, and the engines arrived from the neighbouring towns, -but were of little avail, as there was a bad supply of water. That -part of the west wing which looks down the noble avenue of trees by -which Hatfield Hall is approached from the south, was speedily gutted -by the fire. The roof fell in with a tremendous crash, and the poor -old marchioness was buried in the ruins. - -Another subject for talk was an extraordinary discovery of valuable -jewels, thus told in the _Annual Register_, December 21st. - - "In the month of February last, the warehouse of Messrs. Hall & - Co., on the Custom House Quay, was broken into, and a box, in - which there were deposited diamonds belonging to a foreign - countess, and amounting to from £7000 to £8000 in value, stolen - therefrom. From the mode in which the robbery had been effected - at the Custom House, it was the opinion of Lea, the constable, at - the time, that both it and the one at Messrs. Hall & Co.'s had - been accomplished by the same parties who had effected the Custom - House robbery. By the most singular accident, however, a portion - of the diamonds had been discovered in such a manner as to leave - no doubt that they had been in the possession of William Jourdan. - Lea, the officer, made the following statement:-- - - "He said that, having satisfied himself by inquiries and - information through various channels that Sullivan and Jourdan - were the persons engaged in the robberies, he, with much - difficulty, traced out their residence in the neighbourhood of - Kennington. He had no sooner done so, than they by some means or - other got information of it, and, before he could secure them, - left their homes, taking with them a portmanteau and trunks each, - with an excellent stock of clothes, and took up their lodgings at - the Red Lion Tavern, in King Street, Bloomsbury, where they - represented themselves as persons engaged in mercantile pursuits. - By this means, he (Lea) lost trace of them for several days, - until a person who had been placed to watch the house at - Kennington, followed and traced the brother of Sullivan to the - Red Lion. Lea lost no time in going to the house, and on making - inquiries of the landlady about the person (describing Sullivan's - brother) who had been there, a short time before, with a green - bag, and the object of his calling; she said he was a shoemaker, - who had called to take some orders from, and do some work for, - two gentlemen who were stopping in the house. - - "Sullivan's brother is a common thief, and had merely assumed the - character to prevent any suspicion in the minds of Mr. Proctor - and his family, and, by this means, he was enabled to see his - brother and Jourdan often, and, when seen by a fourth party, his - manner towards them was precisely that of an artisan. Lea then - proceeded to state that from the description which he obtained - from Mrs. Proctor of the description of the persons who were at - her house, he was satisfied that they were the parties of whom he - was in pursuit, and he consequently made such arrangements as to - succeed in the apprehension of both on the following morning. - - "At that time (the 2nd inst.), after securing the prisoners, he - made what he conceived to be a minute search of the apartments - which the prisoners occupied, and had secured everything - belonging to them, but he had now discovered that, - notwithstanding all his care, he had overlooked some most - valuable property. - - "After the capture of the prisoners, Jourdan's wife and - Sullivan's brother had repeatedly called at Mr. Proctor's, and, - upon various occasions, expressed the greatest anxiety to go into - the room which had been occupied by Jourdan, but this was - refused, notwithstanding their earnest entreaties. Two or three - persons, of gentlemanly appearance, had, at different times, - driven up to the door in coaches, with luggage, as if they had - come off a journey, and eagerly asked for lodgings; but Mr. - Proctor, owing to what had previously happened, refused to let - any strangers lodge at his house, and the parties were obliged to - go away. - - "On Thursday morning last, Mr. Hanson, a gentleman residing at - Reading, who, when in town, was always in the habit of stopping - at Mr. Proctor's, called there, and his luggage being taken into - the room that had been previously occupied by Jourdan, he ordered - a fire to be lit by the time he came home in the evening. This - was done by a charwoman, who is in the habit of attending the - house, and that being the first time since spring that a fire had - been made in the room, she threw a quantity of what she conceived - to be rubbish which had accumulated during the summer months - under the ornamental paper in the grate, on the top of the coals, - after the fire had been made up. - - "In the course of the night the attention of Mr. Hanson was - attracted to a most brilliant substance in the centre of the - fire, and, on taking it out with the tongs, he, on inspection, - found a brooch of considerable size, set with pearls, but the - greater part of the gold mounting had melted from it. This - circumstance led him to examine the fire more minutely, and he - found two more, one of a larger and one of a smaller size, but - which, as well as the former, had been seriously damaged by the - fire. On communicating the circumstance to Mr. Proctor, the fire - and the ashes underneath were carefully examined, and seven good - sized brilliants, seven emeralds, one of which is of considerable - size and must have been of great value, and four dozen of small - but sparkling brilliants were found. - - "Lea recollected perfectly, upon searching Jourdan's room, - observing the ornamental paper in the fireplace, but not - perceiving it disturbed in any way, it did not occur to him to - examine it minutely, particularly as the prisoners had trunks in - the room. There was no doubt on his mind that the property which - had been placed there by Jourdan was of considerable value, from - the anxiety evinced by his friends to get to the room to secure - it, and it was not at all improbable that there was a portion of - the notes stolen from the Custom House placed there also, and, if - so, they must have been destroyed by the fire." - -Matters were fairly quiet in Ireland, but there was a murder now and -then. There was, however, sad distress, and this is the tale told in -June. In that month, the poorer inhabitants in many places along the -west coast of Ireland, particularly in County Mayo and the adjacent -islands, suffered severely from a failure of provisions. At a meeting -of a Central Committee for their relief, held at Castlebar, on June -15th, the Rev. Mr. Dwyer stated that the population of Clare Island -amounted to three hundred families, of whom only fifteen, at most, had -provisions to last the harvest. All the rest were, at that moment, in -want, with the exception of twelve or fifteen families who would be -equally destitute in a fortnight. Of nineteen families living in one -village, twelve had begun to be in want in April. In that village -there were six families who, if a shilling could buy a ton of -potatoes, were not able to command it. All the other villages in the -island were said to be still worse off. - -The Rev. Mr. Conolly, from the island of Achill, stated that the crop -there was short from last harvest, owing to the failure of the seed in -spring, and to the north-western gales of the previous August. He had -given relief to seven hundred and fifty families, and he would require -thirty tons more than he had to distribute, in order to afford even -six stone to each family. Many poor creatures came forward to offer -the hides of the goats they had killed, as also geese, hens, -stockings, and even wearing apparel, in lieu of potatoes. - -A respectable inhabitant of Ihnisturk stated the number of families at -about ninety, of which only five were not distressed. Some few might -be able to procure food from their own resources, provided the rents -were not called in, but if they were, the people would starve. Sligo's -agent at Boffin and Stark had given relief to eighty-five families; -fifty families were, to his own knowledge, positively in a state of -starvation, and utterly destitute of means to procure relief; about -one hundred families, besides, were in want; but half that number had -some means, the rest had none. - -The Rev. Mr. Hughes stated, that the distress in his parish -(Burrishoole) was chiefly owing to the failure of the potato crop, -some of which was lost by the perishing of the seed, and some by high -winds in August. Many families were obliged to put themselves on the -short allowance of one meal in the day, so early as last February; he -had already seen many with the signs of starvation in their haggard -countenances, and had heard them cry from hunger. He knew whole -families, each of which had subsisted, frequently, for twenty-four -hours on one quart meal. The population was 11,761, of which number -five thousand were now actually in want; three hundred families had -neither cow, sheep, nor horse, nor any other means to purchase -provisions; two hundred families, at least, had not been able to make -their usual sowing of potatoes for want of seed; and hundreds would -necessarily perish with hunger, unless something was soon done for -their relief. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -The Rev. Mr. Gibbons stated the population of his parish (Kilgevar) at -nine thousand. The crop failed there last year owing to the rotting of -the seed and to harsh winds; two thousand five hundred persons were -now in distress. About one half of these might struggle through -summer, if they sold their few head of cattle to procure provisions, -but the rest had no resource. The wives and children of a great many -of them had already gone to beg. At subsequent meetings of the -committee similar accounts were received from other parts of the -western coasts and its islands. They exhibited the state of the -country as being deplorably wretched, and the sufferings of the poor -as daily and hourly on the increase. Several thousand families were -reported to be without food, except the precarious sustenance they -were enabled to gather in the fields, and among the rocks on the -seashore. Cabbage and shellfish usually furnished their repast. In -some places partial relief was given by the meal which the Central -Board ordered to certain districts; and a resolution passed at a -meeting, by which they requested permission of the London Distress -Committee to procure, with the money remaining at their disposal, one -hundred tons of meal, to give further assistance. A Mr. Owen, from the -Board of Works, attended by order of the Lord Lieutenant, and informed -the meeting that his mission was into Erris, where £500 was to be -expended for the purpose of giving the poor employment. - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -The costumes, etc., given for this year are a nursemaid and children, -indoor and walking dresses, and different modes of dressing the hair. -(See pp. 211, 212.) - - - - -CHAPTER XX. - -1836. - - Curious case of a girl stolen by gipsies--Superstition _re_ light - at Christmas in the North of England--Designs for New Houses of - Parliament--King William III. statue blown up--Admission of - ladies to the House of Commons--Stuart impostors--An - inter-university boat race--How Cambridge came to have light blue - as a colour. - - -On January 15th, the Brighton bench heard the following extraordinary -tale:-- - - "A little girl who stated her name to be Charlotte Savage, and - that she was thirteen years of age, was brought up by Mr. - Solomon, who stated that her story was so extraordinary that he - thought it his duty to let her state it to the bench. - - "The child, in reply to the questions of the magistrate, stated - that her father's name was Robert Savage, that he was formerly a - soldier, but, on marrying her mother, turned Custom House - officer, and was now living at Bristol. Just before hay-making - time last year she and her brother Robert went to the theatre at - Bath; and, as they were returning home at night, her brother - being a little on before, she was taken up by some gipsies, who - gagged her, and put her into a cart. She had ever since been - travelling about with them, and knew the names of three, who were - called John, Richard, and William Lee. They got a living by - selling combs, and by stealing geese, turkeys, sheep, and - rabbits, which they killed and skinned, and the skins of the - sheep and rabbits they sold. Whenever they travelled through any - towns they put her at top of a cart, and when they encamped she - was always employed in washing linen or nursing the children; and - she could not escape, there being always a great boy and girl - with her. - - "About three weeks ago they went through Brighton to Lewes. There - part of the gipsies took lodgings, and those she was with, having - to go into the town, left her in a lodging-house kept by a Mrs. - Tickner. There, to amuse herself, she began reading the Testament - with a little boy, which Mrs. Tickner observing, said she could - not have been brought up to the gipsy life, or she would not have - been able to read. She replied that she had not, and then told - Mrs. Tickner her story. Mrs. Tickner said she had once had a - little boy of her own stolen, and she knew the distraction the - loss of children caused parents to feel; and that, therefore, the - gipsies should give her up, or she would make them, and she would - keep her until she should hear from her parents. She then got a - letter written to them, and received an answer (stating her - mother was on her deathbed, and had been ill ever since her - disappearance), together with five shillings in a parcel. Mrs. - Tickner then hearing that there was a steam packet that sailed - from the chain pier at Brighton, let her come over to Brighton; - she accordingly arrived there, and went to the pier to inquire - about the packet, and was told that there was no steam packet - that went from Brighton to Bristol, but there was a coach which - did. She went to all the coach offices, and there learnt that the - Bristol coach had ceased running for the last fortnight; and, - upon asking for lodgings, was recommended to the Seven Stars. - There she found a person who knew the place near the Bell, where - she was taken up, and another who knew her mother and uncles. To - them she showed the letter, which she had since lost; and, upon - her making her story known, she was brought to the Town Hall, and - put into the prison. At the idea of having been put into prison - the child cried very much. - - "Sir D. Scott asked what had become of the gipsies. - - "The girl replied that she did not know, as they were travelling - about the country. - - "Mr. Solomon said he had taken the girl to the - assistant-overseer, who took down the particulars in writing, but - said he did not believe her story. - - "The girl said if they would take her to Mr. Burton, of the - theatre, he would know her again. - - "Sir D. Scott: How do you know he is here? - - "Girl: I read his name in the play-bill, and he used to write - letters to my mother, when his wife lodged with us. He was - property man at our theatre. - - "Sir D. Scott: Property man! Why how came you to know there was - such a person in a theatre? How came you to know so much about a - theatre? - - "The girl replied that her father and mother at one time lived in - front of Bath theatre. They used to go to the theatre sometimes, - by permission of Mrs. Macready; and she herself had been brought - up to it, when a little girl three years old. They lived in the - drawing-room and had the whole of the house. - - "Sir D. Scott: If we let you go now, you will never get home with - five shillings, and, then, if we did, you are likely to be taken - by some gipsies again. - - "Girl: I should like to be sent to Mr. Burton first, to see if he - would send me home; he knows all my relations, and I know him - well. - - "Mr. Burton having been sent for, said he thought he could - remember her face, but it was two years since he had seen her. He - added he had no doubt of the truth of her story. The girl then - asked him if he would let her have money to take her home, or if - he would keep her until her friends could send for her. This Mr. - Burton said he could not afford to do. - - "Mr. Solomon said the girl told him the gipsies had a young man - with them, chained down to one of their carts. - - "Sir D. Scott: Chained down? - - "The girl assured him that was the fact; and, from what she had - heard from Mrs. Tickner, and the description of him, she had no - doubt it was a son of the Rev. Mr. Jones. - - "Sir D. Scott then ordered that the girl should be taken over to - Lewes, and confronted with Mrs. Tickner; and, if what the girl - stated turned out to be true, directed a letter to be sent to the - parents; the girl, meanwhile, being kept in the workhouse." - -There was curious superstition in the North of England, which is -practically done away with in these days of lucifer matches. In the -old days of tinder boxes, if any one failed to get a light, it was of -no use his going round to the neighbours to get one, for even his -dearest friends would refuse him, it being considered _most unlucky_ -to allow any light to leave the house between Christmas Eve and New -Year's day, both inclusive. No reason has been found for this singular -and somewhat churlish custom. An example is given in the _Leeds -Times_, quoted in the _Times_ of January 20th. - - "Had not the following anecdote been told us on the authority of - a gentleman of high respectability, we should have found some - difficulty in believing that so strange a superstition had still - influence on the minds of the inhabitants of the West Riding. On - the night of Christmas Day our informant was returning to Leeds - in a gig from a town a few miles off, and wished to light a - cigar. He stopped at a cottage by the wayside, and asked to be - allowed a light. 'No,' was the reply, 'thou'lt get no light here - to-night.' Somewhat surprised at this surly reply, he drove on - for a mile or two, and on arriving at a toll bar, again preferred - his request. 'No, sir,' said the gatekeeper, 'I shall let no - light go out of my house to-night.' As there was no mending the - matter, our friend proceeded to another toll-bar, and a third - time requested a light. He was very civilly told he should have a - light with pleasure, had it not been Christmas night; but, on - that night, to allow a light to be taken out of the house would - insure bad luck through the next year. Here, at length, the - mystery was solved. This silly superstition was the cause which - led to the refusals which so astonished the traveller." - -On Thursday, March 24th, there was opened to public inspection at the -National Gallery the designs for the new Houses of Parliament. Of -these one critic wrote-- - - "Of these designs, some are good--indeed, we may say, very - good--many promising, and some so bad that it was ground of - wonder that room should be found for them. They certainly remind - us of Peter Pindar's description of matrimony, which the caustic - satirist describes-- - - 'Like to Jeremiah's figs, - The good are very good, the bad not fit to give to pigs.'" - -Of these designs four were chosen as the best, Barry's plans being -most approved; and again on April 28th they were exhibited publicly at -the National Gallery. Eventually Barry's plans were accepted, and to -him we owe our beautiful "Palace of Westminster." - -On April 8th, between midnight and one a.m., the statue of King -William III. on College Green, Dublin, was blown up by gunpowder. The -street for some time previously had been quiet, none but the ordinary -passengers being apparent, when a watchman saw a lighted train burning -upwards towards the figure; he endeavoured to drag it down with his -pole, but did not succeed. A second watchman came up, and told him to -come away, for there was powder in it. This latter man, who warned his -companion, had previously seen an attempt made to blow up the statue, -but it had failed; and, fearing the danger, gave the warning. -Immediately after the watchmen withdrew, a tremendous explosion -occurred, as loud as a piece of artillery. The noise was heard all -over the neighbourhood. Most of the gas-lamps from the College to -Trinity Street were blown out, and the figure, weighty as it was, -being composed of nearly solid lead, and nine or ten feet high, was -thrown several feet in the air, and fell on the southern side of the -base. - -It may be remembered that, in 1835, the Hon. C. Berkeley moved the -admission of ladies to the gallery of the House of Commons. A select -committee was appointed to consider the subject, and their report was -presented and read on May 3rd. As the debate thereon was short, and -somewhat amusing, I give some of the principal speeches _in extenso_. - - "The Hon. C. Berkeley said that he now brought this question, for - the second time, under the consideration of the House, because he - was perfectly convinced that his motion would have been carried - last session, if many friends of the measure had not happened to - have been in the House at the time. (Laughter.) The Committee, - who had agreed to the report which had just been read, had been - fairly chosen, and they had considered how the object could be - attained at the least possible expense; and, for his own part, he - could not see why ladies should not be admitted, when they were - placed in such a situation that they could not interfere in the - debate. (Great laughter.) It had been said that the presence of - ladies during the debates would distract the attention of - honourable members, although he must confess that if the ladies - were in the House it would make no difference in his thoughts. - (Loud and continued laughter.) Perhaps some gentlemen, at least, - who were made of so much more inflammable materials (shouts of - laughter) might be so affected. The ladies were once admitted to - that gallery, and the debates were not prolonged then, though it - was now the fashion to say that the debates would be prolonged if - they were admitted, and that many persons who were not now in the - habit of speaking would be generally getting up to address the - House when the ladies were present; but, on the other hand, he - believed there were many who spoke much more for the papers than - the ears of their audience (great laughter), who would not speak - if the ladies were there to hear them. He would not detain the - House, but would conclude by moving that, 'It is the opinion of - this House that the Resolution of the Select Committee appointed - in 1835 to consider the means of admitting ladies to a portion of - the Strangers' Gallery, together with the plan of Sir R. Smirke, - should be adopted, and that means should be taken to carry it - into effect, with as little delay as possible.' - - "Mr. Potter, amidst the loudest laughter, begged leave to second - the motion. He could not possibly conceive any good reason which - could be assigned against it. The plan had been tried in the old - House, in the Ventilator. (A laugh.) Surely the female sex were - as much interested in the proceedings of that House as the other, - and if any portion of them were disposed to hear the debates, - they ought not to refuse them. It was well known that the ladies - exercised an important influence in the State, and why should it - not be properly exercised? Why should the beneficial influence of - a virtuous and enlightened mother (a laugh) not be exerted over - her son who had a seat in Parliament? And if the wife of any hon. - member wished to hear the debates, why should she not have the - opportunity? They were admitted into the French Chamber at Paris, - and it was well known that the ladies had seats assigned to them. - He had seen them there pay as much attention to the debates as - any one else, and he had never witnessed the slightest appearance - of levity. (Loud laughter.) The ladies were also admitted to hear - the debates of Congress at Washington, and surely we ought not to - act in this exclusive and Oriental manner. - - "Mr. Kearsley said that he did hope that every hon. member, who - was blessed with a bride or daughters, would give his negative to - this idle, this ridiculous proposition. (Loud laughter.) - - "Mr. O'Connell remarked that in the Irish Parliament ladies were - admitted to hear the debates, and he was afraid the detail of the - cause of their being admitted would throw something like a - censure upon the members of the Irish Senate. However, he would - state that at that time hospitalities of a particular kind - prevailed in Ireland, and the consequence of these hospitalities - was that many members came drunk to the House. (Laughter.) The - remedy proposed was that ladies should be admitted. This was - tried, and from that moment not a single person was seen drunk. - He did not say there existed the same reasons for admitting the - ladies into this House (laughter), but at all events he thought - there existed no good reason why they should be excluded. - - "Mr. Villiers said that he was neither blessed with daughters nor - a bride-elect (laughter), but still he thought no sufficient - grounds had been shown to justify this motion. He was, however, - glad to find that every class of persons in the community was - represented in this House. There were the friends of the people, - the friends of the Church, the farmers' friends, and, now, the - friends of the ladies. (Laughter.) He thought, however, the hon. - and gallant member for Cheltenham, by his motion, proposed an - organic change. (Renewed laughter.) But it seemed to him that no - excitement existed outside of the House on the subject; he was - not aware that any petitions had been presented with reference to - it. The hon. and gallant member had said that he did not see any - harm in the measure; but would the matter end here? Might not - hon. Members have some ulterior views? (Loud laughter.) The hon. - and gallant member proposed to admit the ladies into the gallery, - but were there not places under the gallery? Were there not the - lobby and the library, and might not some hon. member push the - measure further and give them admission there, much to the - inconvenience of the House? (Hear, hear.) But even if admitted to - the gallery only, in what way, he begged to inquire, were hon. - members to exercise their privilege? They could not admit as many - ladies as gentlemen--nay, even they could not accommodate as many - ladies as there were Irish members. Was the power of granting - admissions to be vested in the Minister for the Home Department; - and, if so, might not he be charged with undue influence in - admitting ladies of a certain description? (Loud laughter.) Might - not the champion of some old lady charge him with corrupt motives - in excluding her? In short, the more the subject was considered - the more difficult it seemed. (Renewed laughter.) He hoped, if - the hon. and gallant member for Cheltenham would, if he meant to - introduce a bill upon the subject, have it circulated in all the - populous towns of the country, so that during the autumn its - effects might be ascertained. (Great laughter.) At present hon. - members were unacquainted with the complicated details of the - measure; they did not know all the bearings of the proposition, - though it had been brought forward for two sessions running; - and, therefore, he hoped that the hon. and gallant member would - consent to postpone it. (General laughter.) - - "The House divided. For the motion, 139; against, 40." - -The _Times_ of May 9th, quoting the _Glasgow Chronicle_, has a -paragraph headed - - "ROYAL CHARLEY BACK AGAIN. - - "We have received the following account of the departure from - Greenock of Charles Edward Stuart and his brother, John Sobieski - Stuart. They are said to be grandsons of Charles Edward Stuart, - the Pretender. Of course they must be illegitimate, as the - present King of Sardinia is heir to that prince:-- - - "'On Friday Charles Edward Stuart and his brother John, grandsons - to the Pretender, embarked on board the _Foyle_ for Londonderry. - The scions of the house of Stuart belong to Italy, and have been - on a tour to the north of Scotland, visiting the places named in - the romantic adventures of their ancestor, the young Ascarvius. - They are good-looking young men, and bear a strong resemblance to - the portraits of "Royal Charley." They speak the Italian, French, - English, Gaelic, and Irish languages, and are always attired in - the Highland costume of the house of Stuart, and accompanied by a - piper of the clan. They have never worn any other dress than the - kilt and its Highland appendages, and their seal is a crown. At - the time they embarked the piper played some of the principal - Jacobite airs, composed as laments at the misfortunes of the - Pretender. A number of Highlanders of the higher and middle - classes went on board to have a peep at the strangers, and - although they to a man were all of the High Tory caste, yet they - looked with veneration on the Stuarts. The visitors and - passengers assembled in the cabin seemed determined to honour the - memory of "Royal Charley" by quaffing bumpers of the best - "Glenlivet." One of the company was deputed to ask permission - (_sic_) of Charles Edward, who respectfully declined the honour - intended, and said it was not proper under present circumstances. - The brothers expressed their high gratification at the enthusiasm - of the Greenock Celtic Tories, and seemed much affected.'" - -This precious pair of charlatans pretended that in 1773 a son was born -of the marriage of Charles Edward with the Princess Louisa of -Stolberg-Gedern; that the birth was kept secret, and the babe -privately conveyed on board an English frigate and consigned to the -care of a naval officer named Allen, who brought him up as his own -son. This mysterious child, it was further said, when grown to -manhood, married an English lady in 1790, and in the following year -the "Chevalier Charles Edward" was born. - -John Wilson Croker in vol. 81 of the _Quarterly Review_ (pp. 57-85), -while reviewing _Vestiarum Scoticum_, by John Sobieski Stuart, and -_Tales of the Century_, by John Sobieski and Charles Edward Stuart, -ruthlessly demolishes this pedigree, pointing out that if the -Pretender had had an heir, it was his interest to publish and not to -conceal it; that in his will he only recognized one child, his natural -daughter, the Countess of Albany; that his brother, Cardinal York, -considered that he was King of England; and finally proved that these -two adventurers were none other than John and Thomas Allen, the sons -of Admiral Allen. - -"John Sobieski" died in February, 1872, and there is a biographical -notice of him in the _Times_ of February 17th, 1872, but more may be -read about these brothers in the _Edinburgh Review_ of July, 1861, and -the _St. James's Magazine_ of January, 1872. - -The Oxford and Cambridge boat race, as we know it, did not commence -until 1845,[19] but there were inter-university struggles before that -date, as we see by the _Times_ of June 20th. - -[Footnote 19: The first boat race between the two Universities was on -June 10th, 1829, from Hambledon Lock to Henley. Oxford won by five or -six lengths.] - - "THE CUTTER MATCH BETWEEN THE UNIVERSITIES OF OXFORD AND - CAMBRIDGE. - - "The long-expected match between the gentlemen of the - Universities came off on Friday (June 17th). The sum to be rowed - for was £400, or, as others say, £1000. The weather was most - unpropitious, and those who ventured forth on Friday must have - possessed more than ordinary 'game.' Betting had been two and - three to one on the Oxonians, and there were plenty of takers. At - four o'clock the competitors were at their posts, and, the signal - having been given, they were off. The gentlemen of Cambridge took - the lead, but the Oxonians were right on them. Nothing could have - been finer than the exertions displayed by each party, but - Cambridge still maintained the lead, nor did they, throughout, - ever forfeit that advantage. Cambridge won by four lengths, and - did not exhibit any symptoms of distress." - -The boats were eight-oared as now. - - "The course was the then Champion Metropolitan Course, from - Westminster to Putney. It was in this race that Cambridge first - adopted light blue as their colour, and that apparently by - accident. They were on the point of pushing off from Searle's - yard at Westminster, when somebody remarked that the boat had no - colour in the bow. One person suggested one colour, and one - another. At the last moment, Mr. R. N. Philips, of Christ's, a - well-known oarsman in those days, ran over to a haberdasher's - close by, and asked for a piece of Eton blue ribbon or silk. This - was produced, and the crew adopted it _con amore_. Since those - days Cambridge has worn light blue; while Oxford, for the sake of - contrast, have rather deepened their shade of the same colour. - The jerseys of Cambridge were white, and those of Oxford blue and - white stripes." "Record of the University Boat Race, 1829-1883," - by G. G. T. Treherne and J. H. D. Goldie, p. 12. London, 1884. - - - - -CHAPTER XXI. - -1836. - - Report on the British Museum--The King and the Duchess of Kent; a - scene--Inauguration of George III.'s Statue at Charing - Cross--Poetry at the police court--The trip of the Nassau - balloon. - - -The British Museum had hitherto been the home (so to say) of red tape, -so much so, that it seemed as if every possible obstacle was placed in -the way of people enjoying and benefiting by that magnificent -institution. In fact, its management became such a scandal, that on -February 11th Mr. Estcourt moved that a select committee be appointed -to inquire into its condition, management, and affairs, which was -granted. - -In July the committee made their report to the House, and recommended -that the number of official trustees be reduced, those who do not -attend to be requested to resign, and the vacancies, as they occur, to -be filled up by persons distinguished by their eminence in literature, -science, and art. The museum to be opened during the Easter, Whitsun, -and Christmas weeks, and on all public days from ten to seven in the -months of May, June, July, and August; the reading-room to be opened -throughout the year at nine o'clock in the morning. A further -division of departments to be made, the salaries of the officers to be -increased, and pluralities abolished, and an improved synopsis to be -prepared and sold in parts. Casts were to be made from the statues, -bronzes, and coins, and sold to the public at the lowest possible -price. Nothing was said about classed catalogues, nor the opening of -the reading-room in the evening, the claims of both having been -strongly urged. Still great reforms and concessions had been made. - -The old King was very fond of his niece Victoria, but could not abide -her mother the Duchess of Kent, and Greville tells one story which -does not redound greatly to the King's credit. - - "The King invited the Duchess of Kent to go to Windsor on the - 12th of August, to celebrate the Queen's birthday (13th) and stay - there over his own birthday, which was to be kept (_privately_) - on the 21st (the real day, but falling on a Sunday), and - _publicly_ on the day following. She sent word that she wanted to - keep her own birthday at Claremont on the 15th (or whatever the - day is), took no notice of the Queen's birthday, but said she - would go to Windsor on the 20th. This put the King in a fury; he - made, however, no reply, and on the 20th he was in town to - prorogue Parliament, having desired that they would not wait - dinner for him at Windsor. After the prorogation, he went to - Kensington Palace to look about it; when he got there, he found - that the Duchess of Kent had appropriated to her own use a suite - of apartments, seventeen in number, for which she had applied - last year, and which he had refused to let her have. This - increased his ill-humour, already excessive. - - "When he arrived at Windsor, and went into the drawing-room (at - about ten at night), where the whole party was assembled, he went - up to the Princess Victoria, took hold of both her hands, and - expressed his pleasure at seeing her there, and his regret at - not seeing her oftener. He then turned to the Duchess, and made - her a low bow, almost immediately after which he said that 'a - most unwarrantable liberty had been taken with one of his - palaces; that he had just come from Kensington, where he found - apartments had been taken possession of, not only without his - consent, but contrary to his commands, and that he neither - understood nor would endure conduct so disrespectful "to him."' - This was said loudly, publicly, and in a tone of serious - displeasure. It was, however, only the muttering of the storm - which was to break the next day. - - "Adolphus Fitzclarence went into his room on Sunday morning, and - found him in a state of great excitement. It was his birthday, - and, though the celebration was what was called private, there - were a hundred people at dinner, either belonging to the Court, - or from the neighbourhood. The Duchess of Kent sat on one side of - the King, and one of his sisters on the other, the Princess - Victoria opposite. Adolphus Fitzclarence sat two or three from - the Duchess, and heard every word of what passed. After dinner, - by the Queen's desire, 'His Majesty's health, and long life to - him,' was given, and, as soon as it was drunk, he made a very - long speech, in the course of which he poured forth the following - extraordinary and _foudroyante_ tirade:-- - - "'I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months - longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency - would take place. I should then have the satisfaction of leaving - the Royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady - (pointing to the Princess), the heiress presumptive of the Crown, - and not in the hands of a person now near me, who is surrounded - by evil advisers, and who is herself incompetent to act with - propriety in the station in which she would be placed. I have no - hesitation in saying that I have been insulted--grossly and - continuously insulted--by that person, but I am determined to - endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespectful to me. - Amongst many other things, I have particularly to complain of the - manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my Court; - she has been repeatedly kept from my drawing-rooms, at which she - ought always to have been present, but I am fully determined that - this shall not happen again. I would have her know that I am - King, and I am determined to make my authority respected; and, - for the future, I shall insist and command that the Princess do, - upon all occasions, appear at my Court, as it is her duty to do.' - He terminated his speech by an allusion to the Princess and her - future reign in a tone of paternal interest and affection, which - was excellent in its way. - - "This awful philippic (with a great deal more which I forget) was - uttered with a loud voice and excited manner. The Queen looked in - deep distress, the Princess burst into tears, and the whole - company were aghast. The Duchess of Kent said not a word. - Immediately afterwards, they rose and retired, and a terrible - scene ensued: the Duchess announced her immediate departure, and - ordered her carriage, but a sort of reconciliation was patched - up, and she was prevailed upon to stay till the next day. The - following morning, when the King saw Adolphus, he asked him what - people said to his speech. He replied that they thought the - Duchess merited his rebuke, but that it ought not to have been - given there; that he ought to have sent for her into his closet, - and have said all he felt and thought there, but not at table - before a hundred people. He replied that he did not care where he - said it, or before whom, that, 'By God, he had been insulted by - her in a manner that was past all endurance, and he would stand - it no longer.'" - -On August 3rd the equestrian statue of George III., in Pall Mall, was -inaugurated. It is by Matthew C. Wyatt, and represents the King as he -appeared when reviewing the volunteer troops in Hyde Park, in 1803. It -was originally intended to place this statue at the bottom of Waterloo -Place, where now stands the Guards' Memorial; but it was not -considered proper that the statue of the Duke of York should have his -back turned to the presentment of his father, and the site proposed -was consequently, abandoned. The spot it now occupies was then -selected, and preparations were made to erect the statue on June 4th, -the anniversary of the venerable monarch's birthday. The preparations -were rendered nugatory by the opposition of a business firm, who -considered its erection would be prejudicial to their premises. All -obstacles were overcome, and the statue was placed in position. - -It was unveiled by the Duke of Cumberland, in the presence of a crowd -of noblemen and gentlemen, amidst much cheering, but when the duke, -who was never popular, left, he was severely hissed by the crowd. The -statue is an excellent likeness of the old King, and, when first -erected, was of a gorgeous golden colour. - -There was an amusing police case at the Mansion House on September -21st, when an old woman was charged with having presented a poetical -begging petition at a bank in Lombard Street. She was very poor, and -the alderman gave her two shillings. - - "Alderman Kelly: What can you do besides writing poetry? - - "Defendant: Besides writing poetry! Do you call that nothing? I - can do more. I can teach people to write poetry. - - "Alderman Kelly: Well, whatever you do, you must not annoy people - of business. If you are in necessity, you have a claim upon your - parish, whatever people may say to you, and I advise you to act - accordingly. - - "Defendant: - - When beggars apply for parochial relief, - The welcome they meet is, 'You rascally thief, - Why don't you go work, or beg, borrow, or steal, - Of those who are able to pay for your meal? - Only pass by the parish; the devil may care - If you feed with a bishop, or feed with a bear.' - - "Alderman Kelly: You had better give me back those two shillings - for some more deserving person. - - "Defendant: I'd willingly do so, but that I think people would - never forgive me for being such a fool (laughter). - - "Mr. Hobler (chief clerk): I'd have you try the Press, now that - the stamp is reduced. I've known some people paid for worse stuff - at the enormous rate of a penny a line. - - "Defendant: God bless you, Mr. Hobler, you always give me good - advice, as well as something to keep the wolf from the door. - - Long life to you, my good old clerk, - With your pen stuck in your ear; - May your money increase from day to day, - And your children from year to year." - -Twice only have balloons from England crossed the Channel--once in -1785, and again in 1836--and, from its rarity, the fact deserves -chronicling. On January 7, 1785, François (or Jean Pierre) Blanchard -and Dr. Jeffries crossed the Channel in a balloon, starting from -Dover, and alighting a few miles from Calais. This feat, in the very -infancy of aerostation, was considered very wonderful, and Blanchard -earned, in France, the title of _Don Quixote de la Manche_. They -started at one p.m. and descended in the Forêt de Felmores at three -p.m. They took with them provisions, cork jackets, philosophical -instruments, letters, and oars, with which they fondly hoped to be -able to steer their aerial craft. Their voyage is thus commemorated in -contemporary song-- - - "Their ballast being expended, near to the sea descended, - And what most them befriended, their cloaths went overboard, - Great coats and trousers gone, cork jackets they put on, - And thus again ascended aloft in the air. - They flew o'er Calais town, people of high renown - Took horses and rode after; it caused a hearty laughter, - And soon they found them hamper'd and clinging to a tree." - -Louis XVI. gave Blanchard a present of twelve thousand francs, and a -pension of twelve hundred francs per annum. - -On November 7, 1836, the feat was again essayed and was very -successful. Mr. Green, a veteran aeronaut, Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. -Holland, ascended from Vauxhall at 1.26 p.m. In the car were upwards -of a ton of ballast, several gallons of brandy and wine, and a large -supply of coffee, cold fowls, ham, etc. There were also a supply of -blue lights, stars, and other fireworks, to be let down at night if -the voyage were not accomplished before dark, in order to enable the -aeronauts to reconnoitre the country from their elevation, and choose -the point of their descent, and a number of parachutes, to which -letters were fastened, to be dropped at intervals, for the purpose of -apprising the public of their transit, arrival, and safety. They were, -moreover, furnished with passports from the French and Dutch -embassies, and with a letter to the King of Holland from his -representative in this country. The balloon landed in perfect safety -at a village called Weilburg, in Nassau, at 6.30 next morning, after a -prosperous voyage of seventeen hours, having traversed a space equal -to about 480 English miles. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -Of course they were made a great fuss of. The use of the ducal -_manège_ was immediately tendered for the occupation of the balloon, -and military sentries, more as a guard of honour than for defence, -were posted at the gates and avenues leading to the place of its -reception. Balls, dinner parties, and other festivities were given in -its honour, and, last of all, it was named, with great _éclat_. The -balloon was inflated as much as space would allow, and Mr. Green and -eight young ladies entered within it. A daughter of the Baron de Bibra -then named it the "Great Balloon of Nassau," a large quantity of wine -was drank, and the company regaled themselves with the remains of the -plentiful supply of food taken in the balloon from England. It was -afterwards exhibited in Paris. - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -The illustrations of ladies' dress include two walking dresses as well -as an indoors and evening dress. It will be noted that the very -graceful scarf was introduced in this year. (_See preceding page._) - - - - -CHAPTER XXII. - -1837. - - Epidemic of influenza--A scene in some Metropolitan - graveyards--Lord de Ros and his cheating at cards--Invention of - sewing machine--Coming of age of Princess - Victoria--Illuminations, etc.--The Spitalfield's silk weavers' - ball--Illness of the King--His death and burial. - - -This year opens dismally with influenza in a most virulent form. To -give some idea of its ravages, let me quote the _Standard_ of January -12th-- - - "The epidemic now raging has been seriously injurious both to - public and private business. On Saturday ninety clerks were - absent from the Bank of England, but on Tuesday the absentees - amounted to a hundred and thirty. At the Post Office, Custom - House, and Excise Office, as well as the Government Offices at - Somerset House and Whitehall, and at all the theatres, similar - inconvenience is daily felt, from the illness of the clerks and - others employed. Nor is the evil resulting to business from the - effects of this epidemy confined to public establishments. - Upwards of sixty men have been absent from the brewery of Messrs. - Barclay and Perkins within the last few days; the same number - from Maudslay's the engineers, in the Westminster Bridge Road; - seventeen from the warehouse and shop of Ellis on Ludgate Hill; - twenty from Hitchcock and Rogers'; and as great a number from - Shoolbred's. Indeed, so much has the influenza prevailed in some - quarters, that whole families have been laid up, their business - entirely suspended, and their shops closed; such is the case with - a shop in the Minories, and also with a public house in the - neighbourhood of Grafton Street, Gower Street." - -On the 16th the same paper tells us of three judges and many members -of the bar incapable of work through this cause--and also that, within -the last fortnight, sixty-four of the pensioners in Greenwich Hospital -had died of the complaint; but the scene on Sunday, January 22nd, as -reported in the _Times_ and the _Annual Register_, seems to have been -very bad-- - - "Death had a high day in the metropolis last Sunday; and, - perhaps, in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, such a scene has - not been witnessed. There was scarcely an undertaker unemployed, - and many were unable to accomplish their orders. Hearses and - mourning coaches were to be seen driving through the streets, - hurrying from the execution of one funeral to the commencement of - another. Walking funerals were met at almost every corner of the - public streets, and many who had ordered carriages were unable to - procure them, and were compelled to wade through the dirt and wet - on foot. The churchyards seemed to be all bustle and confusion. - The principal interments took place in the parishes of St. - Pancras, Marylebone, St. Giles's, Clerkenwell, Whitechapel, - Bethnal Green, and St. Margaret's and St. John's Westminster. It - is computed that not less than a thousand burials must have taken - place on Sunday, and when it is considered that the number of - parishes in and around the metropolis is near two hundred, the - calculation does not seem to be an exaggerated one. - - "In the churchyards of St. Pancras and St. Giles the scenes were - truly awful, and even disgusting to the feelings. The burial - ground in the former had more the appearance of a ploughed field; - furrows from the graves were turned up all over the place, and - such was the scene between three and four o'clock, that not less - than between forty and fifty interments took place, the - undertakers scarce knowing which grave to go to. Groups of - mourners, with corpses waiting, in every part, for the clergyman - to take his turn in performing the funeral service; then the - horrid manner of the grave-diggers (navigators, who seemed hired - for the purpose), their awful language, and careless manner of - filling in the graves, jumping and stamping on the coffins--such - a sight, indeed, was enough to appal the hardest heart. Some of - the mourners had actually to wait upwards of an hour before their - relatives could be interred. - - "The epidemic seems not only to have been destructive in its own - natural form, but, at Guy's Hospital, in the wards, where a free - circulation of air existed, it has, in many instances, run into - bronchitis and pneumonia, and has even induced severe symptoms of - typhoid or yellow fever, in all which cases, it is easy to guess - what were the consequences. So very fatal, indeed, has it proved - in this way, that the managers of several hospitals have set - apart wards exclusively for patients with influenza. Dr. Johnson, - at the last meeting of the Westminster Medical Society, stated - that it has been far more violent in its character, and universal - in its extent, than the epidemic of 1833." - -At the Court of King's Bench Lord Denman and a jury spent the 9th and -10th of February in trying an action for libel brought by Lord de Ros, -the premier Baron of England, against a Mr. Cumming, who had accused -his lordship of cheating at cards. The trial excited the greatest -interest, and was attended by most of the nobility and members of good -clubs. - -It was charged against Lord de Ros that, at the whist table, he -frequently contrived to have a violent fit of coughing when his deal -came round, which obliged him to put his hands under the table; and -then it always happened that he turned up an honour; and that the aces -and kings in the packs Lord de Ros played with were frequently marked, -slightly, but perceptibly, with the thumb-nail. Many gentlemen swore -to their having been cheated by these tricks, and some refused to play -with Lord de Ros; and, though others did not shun him after his -cheating had been discovered, they sent him anonymous notes of -warning, and hoped that he had left off cheating. The play of these -gentlemen was sometimes very high, and one of them, Mr. Brook -Greville, admitted that he had made £35,000 by play; another, Captain -Alexander, said that he was a "better man by £10,000 for card -playing." - -On the part of Lord de Ros, it was stated that he had a stiffness in -his finger-joints, which prevented him from playing tricks with cards, -though he could cut and shuffle them. But Sir William Ingleby swore to -the repeated frauds of the peer. He had seen him fifty times perform -the trick called "_sauter la coupe_;" which, in effect, was to cut the -cards so as always to turn up an ace or a king when he dealt. Several -witnesses proved that the aces and kings of the packs with which Lord -de Ros had played were marked. The persons who gave evidence against -Lord de Ros were, generally, professed gamblers; but no evidence was -adduced to prove that they had any spite against his lordship, or that -any conspiracy had been formed to ruin him. There never was a clearer -case against any delinquent; and the jury took only fifteen minutes to -determine upon their verdict, which was in favour of the defendant. -This was equivalent to the conviction of Lord de Ros of cheating at -cards, and he took the very prudent step of leaving England that night -for Rotterdam. - -People are apt to consider that the sewing machine is an invention of -our own time. But the _Times_ of March 8th says otherwise-- - - "A master tailor of Amsterdam, named Weiland, a German by birth, - has invented a machine which performs the task of sewing a - garment as well as it can be done by hand. The King of Holland - has just presented him with one hundred ducats, but the tailors - have vowed vengeance against him." - -The old King felt his health failing him, and his fervent wish was to -live until the Princess Victoria was of age. As Greville writes, May -23rd-- - - "The King prayed that he might live till the Princess Victoria - was of age, and he was very nearly dying just as the event - arrived. He is better, but supposed to be in a very precarious - state. There has been a fresh squabble between Windsor and - Kensington about a proposed allowance to the Princess." - -The King's present to the Princess, on her birthday, was a magnificent -grand pianoforte by Broadwood, of the value of two hundred guineas. - -The coming of age of the Princess, on May 24th, was kept with -festivity throughout the kingdom, but especially at Kensington. At six -a.m. the union jack was hoisted on the summit of the old church, and -also on the green opposite the palace. At this latter place it was -surmounted by a splendid flag of white silk, on which was inscribed, -in sky blue letters, the Princess's name "Victoria." From the houses -of the principal inhabitants of the High Street were also displayed -the royal standard, union jack, and other flags of all colours and -dimensions. Soon after six, the gates of Kensington Gardens were -thrown open to the public, and it having got wind that her Royal -Highness would be serenaded at seven (the hour when she was born) the -place was thronged with a large assemblage of well-dressed people. - -As early as nine a.m. visitors arrived to enter their names in the -Duchess of Kent's book, and during the whole day, up to a late hour in -the evening, the palace was crowded with company, so much so, that -they were obliged to leave it by another gate. Their Royal Highnesses -received their household at half-past twelve, and the following -members of the royal family at two: the Princess Sophia, the Princess -Sophia Matilda, the Princess Augusta, and the Duke of Sussex. In the -course of the afternoon the Duchess of Kent, the Princess Victoria, -and the Princess of Leinengen drove through the parks in an open -carriage. - -At night a State ball was given at St. James's Palace, the Princess -Augusta receiving the company on the part of the Queen. The ball -opened with a quadrille, the Princess Victoria being led off by Lord -Fitzalan, eldest son of the Earl of Surrey, and grandson of the Duke -of Norfolk. Her Royal Highness subsequently danced with Prince Nicolas -Esterhazy, son of the Austrian ambassador. - -The following is the _Times_ account of the celebration of the -birthday in London:-- - - "Yesterday being the anniversary upon which the heiress - presumptive to the throne of these realms attained the age of - eighteen, considerable expectation had been raised amongst the - holiday seekers and sightseers of the metropolis that the day - would be celebrated by military displays, reviews, and those - attractions usually put forward on those occasions. Early in the - morning dense crowds were seen wending their way from all parts - of the metropolis, in the direction of Hyde Park, in anticipation - that their 'weary walk' would be remunerated by one of those - displays of military manoeuvres which, in times of peace, delight - those who wish to live at ease, and in the reality of which so - many Britons have participated, to the honour, the glory, and the - best interests of the land that gave them birth. So general was - the anticipation that such would commence the festivities of the - day, that crowds of artisans who had proceeded towards the usual - scene of action at an early hour, were followed towards the same - arena by vehicles of every description conveying their - fellow-subjects, who, though more wealthy, were equally devoted - to loyalty and amusement. Great was the disappointment when hour - after hour passed and brought no military relief to the - greensward, and eventually the multitude assembled diverged - homewards, or proceeded in search of other attractions. It is - proper to state that, at the dawn of day, salutes were fired from - the ordnance depôts of the metropolis, and to this only was the - military display confined. - - "In the evening the principal streets of the City and West End - were most brilliantly illuminated, and, the weather being fine, - the crowds of eager spectators who had been disappointed early in - the day rendered the streets impassable. The club houses in Pall - Mall, St. James's Street, and elsewhere, were elegantly and most - appropriately illuminated, with one solitary exception--the - Reform club house in Pall Mall, in front of which was exhibited - the word "Victoria" in variegated lamps. Some wags doubted the - propriety of this display, and, looking at the Parliamentary - events of the preceding night, were sceptical as to the fitness - of the word at such a moment. It was, however, questioned by some - bystanders whether the display was designed as a compliment to - the heiress presumptive, or had reference to the "mighty - triumph" of the pseudo Liberals in the House of Commons on the - recent division.[20] Whatever was the intention of the parties by - whose direction the exhibition was made, it is beyond doubt that - the word 'Victoria' was, in that view, as much laughed at as - though an insignificant 'Five' had blazoned forth in all the - arrogance of conquest. - - [Footnote 20: A debate on church rates, in which the majority was - only five.] - - "Though the illuminations were by no means general, yet the - tradespeople of the Royal Family manifested devoted loyalty and - considerable taste in the displays they made. It would be - invidious to the parties, and uninteresting to our readers, to - describe the numerous devices and their localities. The task must - be indefinite, and it must, therefore, content the curious to - know that the brilliancy of the illumination, the taste - displayed, and the good humour which manifested itself in all - directions, made some considerable amends to the disappointment - of the holiday folk in the morning. Densely as the streets were - thronged (and we never saw them more so), we heard of no accident - having occurred--a fact which was rendered the more remarkable by - the total absence of anything like police arrangements as to the - passage of carriages through the principal and most attractive of - the streets. On the whole, however, the day passed off - wonderfully well, and a late hour of the night saw thousands - home, who were highly delighted with the sights they had seen." - -_Fraser's Magazine_ for June had a rather smart sonnet on that -majority of five, called - - "JUNE SONNET. - - "Good was the omen on th' auspicious night - When kept was fair Victoria's natal day-- - London in gas, and oil, and tallow gay, - Looked a vast isle of artificial light: - Anchors and crowns, and roses beaming bright; - Stars, garters, and triangles, shone around: - Lions and unicorns all chained and crowned, - And other blazonings--yellow, green, red, white-- - Dazzled the air. But, more delighted, we - Welcomed one blazing letter everywhere - Playing a double duty. Hail, great V! - V! Ministerial sad majority-- - Mark of the unhappy FIVE! with grim despair - Did Melbourne and his men that symbol see.' - -The next thing of interest was "The Spitalfields Silk Weavers Ball," -held on June 1st, at the King's Theatre. After the Edict of Nantes, -nearly fifty thousand French artisans and manufacturers fled into -England, and the silk weavers located themselves at Spitalfields and -Bethnal Green. At this time their trade was very bad, and there was -much distress among them. This being represented to the King and -Queen, they commanded that a ball should be given at the King's -Theatre for the benefit of the weavers, and at which their Majesties -intended to attend. All the feminine portion of the royal family and -the principal ladies of the nobility were patronesses, and a royal -command was given that no ladies should appear dressed in other than -satin or silk of Spitalfields manufacture, and that those gentlemen -who were not attired in military or naval uniforms should wear fancy -waistcoats of the same fabric. - -The theatre was specially and beautifully decorated for the occasion; -the front of the boxes were hung in festoons of satin and silk (all of -Spitalfields manufacture), the grand tier being purple, with the badge -and insignia of the Order of the Garter; the second tier crimson, with -the badge and insignia of the Order of the Bath; the third tier light -blue, with the badge and insignia of the Order of St. Patrick; the -fourth tier green, with the badge and insignia of the Order of St. -Andrew; and the fifth tier light blue, with the badge and insignia of -the Guelphic Order. Five of the centre boxes were thrown into one, and -a large projecting balcony erected for the reception of the royal -visitors, and two boxes on either side for the accommodation of -members of the household. The pit was boarded over and made even with -the stage. - -Weippert's band of sixty-four performers formed the orchestra. Mr. -Kendon, dancing-master to the Princess Victoria, acted as master of -the ceremonies, and special precautions were taken to prevent the -admission of improper characters. With that view the patrons and -patronesses gave vouchers to those who were anxious to be present, -which were afterwards exchanged by Mr. Willis, of Almack's, for the -regular tickets of admission, of which about 2300 were sold. Not a -seat was empty, and the ball was a decided success. - -Neither the King nor the Queen were able to attend, for the poor old -man was moribund. A slight decline of strength had been perceptible to -the immediate attendants of the King at the commencement of the year, -but it was not till the month of May that the state of his Majesty's -health excited any serious apprehensions. On the 17th of that month he -held a levee, but, on his return to Windsor Castle, he showed great -signs of debility and exhaustion, with oppression of breathing, in -consequence of which he had considerable difficulty in ascending the -staircase; and when he had reached the corridor was under the -necessity of resting on the nearest sofa. He tried to keep up as well -as he could, but on June 7th his physicians found him much worse. On -June 8th his illness was noticed in the "Court Circular," with a -notice that the state entertainment intended to have been given at the -castle to the knights of the several orders was indefinitely -postponed; indeed, on that day, in obedience to the Queen's wishes, -the party staying at the castle dispersed. - -Day after day he grew worse, with just a little flutter of improvement -when the Waterloo memorial flag was presented to him, when he -expressed himself as glad to see it, and begged the Duke of Wellington -to be told that he desired the Waterloo banquet to be held as usual, -and hoped it would be an agreeable dinner. He gradually sunk until -June 20th, when the following bulletin was issued:-- - - "Windsor Castle, Tuesday, June 20. - - "It has pleased Almighty God to release from his sufferings our - most gracious sovereign, King William the Fourth. His Majesty - expired this morning at twelve minutes past two o'clock. - - "MATT. JOHN TIERNEY. - "WM. FRED CHAMBERS. - "DAVID DAVIES." - -Death came to him so gently, that some doubt existed as to the -precise moment at which he actually did expire. The stroke of death -was almost imperceptible. - -[Illustration: Dresses.] - -He lay in state on July 7th in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor -Castle, and the public were admitted to see him from ten till four. -The next day--or rather on the night of the 8th--he was buried, with -all the pomp and the solemnity usual on such occasions, in a vault in -St. George's Chapel. - -[Illustration: Hair dressing.] - -The dresses for 1837 are two walking-dresses and a ball dress, and -also a child's costume, with different fashions of hairdressing. - - - - -CHAPTER XXIII. - - Men's dress--Education--School advertisements--The original of - Squeers--Girls' schools--Tea as a meal--Food--A foreigner's - sketch of an English dinner-party--A high-class dinner--An ideal - dinner. - - -Men's dress was very much as in our time, the trousers were somewhat -tighter, the coat collars higher, the waistcoats were worn more open, -and there was somewhat more than a _soupçon_ of stays. Hair was worn -long and artificially curled, and no one but a cavalry man, or a -blackleg, wore a moustache. The neckcloths or "stocks," as they were -called, must have been veritable instruments of torture, being lined -with slips of whalebone, and coming tight under the chin; a rivulet or -rather river of satin flowed over the shirt, and was fastened by two -pins connected by a chain. But, if any one wants the man's costume of -William the Fourth's reign he will find it in the very familiar -engravings by "Phiz," to _Pickwick_ and _Nicholas Nickleby_. Elderly -gentlemen still wore knee breeches and silk stockings, with gaiters -for outdoor wear, and among them the pigtail was still to be found; -nay, I recollect two old gentlemen who wore them, as I also remember -some middle-aged men wearing the very handsome Hessian boot. - -The Spanish cloak came in about 1834, and in the following -advertisement we see its size and price, together with the prices of -other clothes. _Times_, November 19, 1834-- - - "Spanish cloak of superfine blue cloth, a complete circle of - 9-1/2 yards, £4 4_s._; Opera ditto, £2 2_s._; boy's ditto, £1 - 1_s_; camlet ditto, 11_s._; boy's ditto, 12_s._ Fashionable - Petersham great coat, bound, £2 2_s._; Saxon frock coat, faced - silk, £2 10_s._; an elegant suit of superfine cloth, complete, £4 - 4_s._; the very best that is made, £4 15_s._; suit of livery, £3 - 3_s._ Contract prices:--Two suits per year, £6 6_s._; extra fine - quality, the very best, £7 7_s._; three suits, £10 17_s._; ditto, - £12 5_s._; four suits, £14 6_s._; ditto, £15 18_s._; the old to - be returned. Stout cloth winter trousers, 13_s._ 6_d._" - -Respecting education in England at this time, Count Edouard de -Melfort, who wrote his _Impressions of England_ in 1836, says-- - - "Even in the lowest classes in England it is difficult to find a - person who does not know how to read or write. There is scarcely - any village, however insignificant, which has not its 'National - School;' and, without meaning any offence to other countries, I - think I may assert that the education of the people in England is - superior to that of any other." - -In this opinion, I think, the Count is too optimistic, for the lower -classes were woefully uneducated, my early experience being that -comparatively few could read and write, especially in the rural -districts. The upper class, of course, received an education to -prepare for the Universities; and, in the middle-class, a classical -education was decidedly predominant over one that would fit its -recipient for mercantile pursuits. The ordinary boarding-schools -charged from thirty to forty-five guineas per annum, but their -proprietors had a knack of including extras, which very greatly -increased this sum. Here is an advertisement of a middle-class school -in 1830-- - - "Exeter College, Snaresbrook, six miles from London, for the - reception of gentlemen designed for mercantile pursuits, the - legal and medical professions, the naval and military - institutions, and the Universities. The number is limited, they - are parlour boarders, and each has a separate bed. The - establishment is under the immediate attention of the Principal - and resident classical assistants, with the regular attendance of - professional gentlemen of eminence in the departments of French, - drawing, music, dancing, &c. Terms per annum--A mercantile - course, with mathematics, history, geography, use of the globes, - astronomy, etc., twenty-five guineas; or with the classics, in - Latin, Greek, and including drawing, music, and dancing, thirty - guineas; any one of the languages or accomplishments selected - with the first course, four guineas. Every department of this - establishment is arranged and conducted on the most comprehensive - scale of liberality. The pupils are the sons of private and - professional gentlemen of the highest respectability in London - and various parts of the kingdom," etc. - -This was a comparatively cheap school. Let us take another, to which -well-to-do people would be likely to send their children. It was -situated near Newbury, and was conducted on the plan of a regular -grammar school-- - - "Young Gentlemen are received from 4 to 20 years of age. - Terms--from 4 to 10 years of age, 25 guineas; 10 to 15, 35 - guineas; 15 to 20, 40 guineas; parlour-boarders, 80 guineas per - annum." - -But there were lower class schools--such as Dickens has immortalized -in Nicholas Nickleby. He says in his preface to the 1839 edition that -he meant no one in particular, but we may, perhaps, think differently -after reading what I have to write. We all remember the story when -Snawley brings his sons-in-law to the Saracen's Head-- - - "'Mr. Squeers, I believe, sir?' - - "'The same, sir,' said Mr. Squeers, with an assumption of extreme - surprise. - - "'The gentleman,' said the stranger, 'that advertised in the - _Times_ newspaper?' - - "_'Morning Post_, _Chronicle_, _Herald_, and _Advertiser_, - regarding the academy called Dotheboys Hall, at the delightful - village of Dotheboys near Greta Bridge, in Yorkshire,' added Mr. - Squeers. 'You come on business, sir, I see by my young - friends....' - - "'Hem!' said the other; 'twenty pounds per annum, I believe, Mr. - Squeers?' - - "'Guineas,' rejoined the schoolmaster, with a persuasive smile. - - "'Pounds for two I think, Mr. Squeers,' said Mr. Snawley, - solemnly. - - "'I don't think it could be done, sir,' replied Mr. Squeers, as - if he had never considered the proposition before. 'Let me see: - four times five is twenty, double that, and deduct the ---- Well, - a pound either way shall not stand betwixt us. You must recommend - me to your connection, sir, and make it up that way....' - - "'And this,' resumed Snawley, 'has made me anxious to put them to - some school a good distance off, where there are no - holidays--none of those ill-judged comings home twice a-year that - unsettles children's minds so--and where they may rough it a - little; you comprehend?'" - -That Dickens saw the following advertisements there is no doubt, for -they were inserted every half-year throughout the reign, in the -_Times_-- - -_Times_, July 15, 1830-- - - "EDUCATION. By Mr. SHAW, at BOWES ACADEMY, Greta Bridge, - Yorkshire.--YOUTHS are carefully INSTRUCTED in the English, - Latin, and Greek languages, common and decimal arithmetic, - book-keeping, mensuration, surveying, geometry, geography, and - navigation, with the most useful branches of the mathematics, and - provided with board, clothes, and every necessary, at 20 guineas - per annum each. No extra charges. No vacations. Further - particulars may be known on application to.... Mr. Shaw attends - at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn, from 12 to 2 daily, where a - card of particulars may be seen." - -_Times_, September 18, 1830-- - - "At KIRBY HILL ACADEMY, near Richmond, Yorkshire, conducted by I. - Nelson and assistants. The system of instruction comprehends all - the usual branches of a liberal education, comprising the Greek - and Latin Classics, mathematics, etc., at 22 guineas per annum. - No extra charges. No vacation. French language and drawing on the - usual terms. I. N. will attend daily at the Saracen's Head, Snow - Hill, etc." - -In these two advertisements we have, in the first, Greta Bridge and -Squeers's prospectus; in the other, his London place of abode, the -Saracen's Head, Snow Hill. Bowes is about five miles from Castle -Barnard. - -Mr. Jonathan Bourchier sends a communication to _Notes and Queries_ -(4th S. xii. 324) enclosing extracts from a letter from an old friend -who writes from Bowes-- - - "It is a very fine country--fresh mountain air. _Dotheboys Hall_ - is still here, no longer a school. Mr. Shaw, the original of - Squeers, married a Miss Laidman, who was a sort of cousin of my - father. The school buildings are pulled down, but the house - (Dotheboys) is still a very nice handsome one, with large - offices, cowhouses, etc. We learn from our landlady that in the - room where we are now sitting (Unicorn Inn, Bowes) Dickens had - lunch the day he and a friend rode over from Barnard Castle to - see and make sketches of Mr. Shaw's school, and this same old - lady, Mrs. Highmoor, waited on them. Dickens was only here that - day, but he stayed longer in Barnard Castle, and got a great deal - of gossip, not too true, about the school from one ----, a - quondam usher of Shaw's and 'a bad lot,' who had, indeed, been - turned off for bad conduct. - - "Mrs. Highmoor tells me, as indeed my father always says, that - Dotheboys Hall is a most exaggerated caricature. But somehow the - description was in some respects so correct that everybody - recognized it. Poor Shaw quite took it to heart, and did no more - good, got childish and paralytic, and soon died. The school went - down fast. Mrs. Shaw also died broken-hearted. But a good deal of - money was left behind. Mrs. Highmoor says there were an immense - number of boys; that Mr. Shaw chartered a special coach to bring - them from London (this place is on one of the great coaching - roads between York and Glasgow); and that there was great joy in - the village on the arrival of the coach and its precious - freight--quite _the event_ it was. She says the boys were used - very well, and fed as well as could be expected for £20 a-year; - that there might be things wrong, but no complaints were ever - made; that Shaw made money, because on his own farm he grazed the - cows and fed the sheep and pigs which supplied the boys' food. - - "My impression is that Yorkshire schools were bad, but not so bad - as Dickens makes out, and Shaw's was better than most of them. - There is a strong feeling here of indignation against Dickens, - who no doubt ruined poor Shaw." - - "An old pupil of Mr. Squires--the Mr. Squeers of Dickens's - 'Nicholas Nickleby'--has died at New Brunswick, leaving behind a - record of his schooldays. This is to be published as a sort of - post-mortem vindication of Mr. Squires, whose career as a - pedagogue was rather unfairly caricatured by the novelist. The - old pupil is the Rev. Ralph Willis, a native of London. He went - to school at Bowes, in Yorkshire, and it was through his father - that Dickens heard of the school. Many of the scenes in the book - he describes as inventions; but the moral of the reminiscences is - that Squires was not as black as he was painted" (_Globe_, June - 5, 1895). - -A girl at boarding-school cost about the same as a boy, but day -schools seem to have been very cheap, judging by one in Salisbury -Square, Fleet Street, where the governesses say, in their -advertisement, that - - "Their system of education is the result of close observation, - blended with long experience; and it embraces all the advantages - of a superior private instruction, with those which will ever be - found to exist in a well-conducted school. Terms, including - reading, geography, history, grammar, and useful and ornamental - needlework, one guinea per quarter. The Misses Thompson are - assisted in the departments of penmanship and arithmetic, the - French, Italian, and Latin languages, music, drawing, and dancing - by professors of eminence, on the usual terms." - -But I fancy the following advertisement appealed to a far richer -_clientèle_:-- - - "At a first-rate FINISHING LADIES' SEMINARY, VACANCIES occur for - a few PUPILS. The system of education adopted is of the highest - order, embracing superior and peculiar advantages. In addition to - an extensive course of English studies, invaluable to young - ladies finishing their education, they will be perfected in the - French and Italian languages, music, comprising the harp, - pianoforte, and singing, with a knowledge of harmony and thorough - bass, drawing, dancing, and every research in science and - literature to qualify them to move in the first circles." - -We may note that the guitar, which was then very fashionable, is not -mentioned, and we never find the German or Spanish languages taught. -The dancing comprehended galop, mazurka, waltz, quadrilles, and a -variety of fancy dances, such as the shawl dance, etc., which were -never used out of dancing academies. The poor little dears had no -other physical exercises, no swimming, nor Swedish gymnastics, and -their punishments consisted in being put in the stocks, which made -them turn out their toes, and in the back-board, which tended to -expand the chest and cure round shoulders. Their principal relaxation -was, as now, a solemn walk in procession. - -Afternoon tea, as we know it, was unknown; but, as people dined much -earlier than now, it was a fairly substantial meal of hot buttered -toast, muffins, Sally Lunns, and other tea cakes. It was essentially a -chatty cosy meal, the same that Cowper sang of-- - - "Now stir the fire and close the shutters fast, - Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round." - -Either the copper tea-kettle sang on the hob or on a trivet on the -bars, or the tea-urn hissed on the table; whilst on the polished brass -three-legged trivet, standing on the hearth, were the muffins, -crumpets, toast, or what not, keeping nice and hot. In many -middle-class houses a toasting-fork hung with a hearth broom by the -side of the mantelpiece, and it was thought no harm for the younger -portion of the family to "make the toast" by the dining-room fire. The -tea drank was exclusively of Chinese growth, that of India and Ceylon -never having been dreamed of, and the prices (retail) ranged from -3_s._ 6_d._ to 7_s._ 6_d._ per lb. A paragraph in the _Times_, July -15, 1836, gives us an idea of the amount consumed. - - "Yesterday the East India Company" (who at this time had the - monopoly of the tea trade) "issued their declaration for the - sale of teas in September next. The declaration amounts to - 4,000,000 lbs., and comprises 500,000 lbs. of bohea, 2,770,000 - lbs. of congou, souchong, and pekoe, 600,000 lbs. of twankay, and - 130,000 lbs. of hyson. In the present declaration there are - 100,000 lbs. less of bohea than in the June sale, 100,000 less of - twankay, an increase of 170,000 lbs. of congou, souchong, &c., - and 30,000 more of hyson. The whole amount of bohea teas entered - under the Treasury minute for payment of the duty of 1_s._ 6_d._ - per pound until the 1st of August next is above 12,000,000 lbs." - -With regard to the food, it was plain and wholesome, but was supplied -with such prodigality that the table literally "groaned" under its -weight, and I may safely say that at a dinner-party there was at least -six times more food provided than the guests could eat. It was their -way of showing hospitality. There was some truth in the description by -the old French _émigré_, who found England uninhabitable, because -"there were twenty-four religions and only one sauce, no ripe fruit -but roasted apples, and that each man ruined his health in drinking to -the health of others." But as it is good sometimes to "see oursen' as -ithers see us," let us hear what Count Melfort has to say on the -English middle-class dinner in this reign. After giving a most -humorous description of the _mauvais quatre d'heure_ before dinner, he -says-- - - "At last, hurried steps are heard, and the door opening briskly, - Mr. Jackson (the host) in person appears, who excuses himself for - his delay on account of some business, which, he says, kept him; - he shakes your hands, both at once, in each of his, and tells you - dinner is served; and then you offer your arm to Mrs. Jackson, I - take that of the timid eldest daughter, and we descend to the - ground floor, to the dining-room, which, like the two - drawing-rooms, is everywhere the same, in form, size, and - situation. You can hardly fail to observe all the brilliant - plate, not only on the table but also on the sideboard, where - trays of every size, goblets, covers, plates, and other objects - of the same metal are ranged against the wall; this display puts - one in mind of a silversmith's shop. - - "The table is out of all proportion long; each end is occupied, - the one by Mr. Jackson, who undertakes to serve the fish and to - carve the large joints (such as an immense turbot, and then an - enormous piece of roast beef); the other end by _madame_, who, - having placed you on her right, and me on her left, begins to - serve the soup; she will afterwards ask you to carve the - everlasting boiled fowls, _à la sauce blanche_. As for the French - _ragouts_, which are ranged lengthwise down the table in covered - dishes, be careful and avoid them; I recommend it as a friend. - You have accepted soup, and I see that you are astonished to find - little _côtelettes_, bones, forced meat balls, etc., swimming - about; the cayenne pepper and other hot spices cause you to make - a grimace, whilst they burn your throat; never mind! eat some - turbot, you will find it excellent. - - "You must now bravely 'screw your courage to the sticking place;' - you are nailed to that chair for the space of two hours and a - half at least, without any chance of conversation, except only a - few interrupted words, each person speaking occasionally in a low - tone to his or her neighbour. The burly Mr. Crack, to whom Mrs. - Jackson introduced us, has, as yet, only opened his mouth for the - purpose of endeavouring to satisfy his extraordinary appetite; - this, however, appears to be labour in vain; he is placed in the - middle of the table, and fills the place of two persons, whilst - he eats enough for four. As to that _soi-disant élégant_--that - little personage placed next to Miss Maria, who cannot turn his - head because of his stiff black stock which keeps it in - prison--you will guess by his ridiculous affectation and - exaggerated politeness to his neighbours to what sphere he - belongs; particularly when, during the dessert, on her asking him - the favour to give her an orange, he will take it up between two - spoons, one in each hand, his elbows raised and his fingers - extended. The only speech which you will have heard him utter - was when good Mr. Jackson cried out, after emptying his glass, - 'After all, the climate of England is the best in the world!' and - he rejoined, 'It is unquestionably true!' Thus pass two hours! - However, at last the cloth is removed, and we continue round the - well-rubbed or polished mahogany table. At this point of the - entertainment Mr. Jackson makes us a bow, pronouncing at the same - time a few indistinct words; we all return his bow. This, after - dinner, is a regular custom--a sort of _agimus tibi gratias_, - which is thus said in abridgment. - - "The table is now covered with crystal, fruit, and flowers, and - wine decanters; these are first arranged in battle array before - the host; and, at his signal, made by pushing the first round, - they begin their promenade of the table, one gentleman sliding - them along to the next; the ladies take a little, taste the - fruit, and, having occupied some moments in putting on their - white gloves, rise, following the example of Mrs. Jackson; we all - do the same, but only to conduct them to the door of the room. - Here, however, the force of habit makes you forget the - recommendation I had given you--you try to escape; but a hand - retains you by the tail of your coat; it is that of Mr. Jackson, - who observes to you that you have still a bottle of claret to - finish with him. Mr. Crack, too, had made a polite effort to rise - on the departure of the ladies, but his own weight reseated him; - he has now got to the raisins and preserved fruits, etc. - - "After another mortal hour a servant enters, and announces that - the tea and coffee are taken upstairs; we ascend. Mrs. Jackson - advances to us immediately, she asks if we play or sing, and - tells us how amiable we should be to do so--this is a request - rarely addressed to an Englishman, one is too sure of a reply in - the negative. Mrs. Jackson appears very much astonished that - neither you nor I can satisfy her in this respect; and, after - many protestations in order to convince her, she makes a sign to - Miss Dorothy, the great musician of the family, who opens the - piano, places her two feet on both the pedals, and begins a - confused din, under which the instrument itself seems to suffer. - When she has finished you will be much embarrassed to tell me - whether it was an adagio, a waltz, or a quadrille which she has - favoured us with. But, never mind; like great Mr. Crack, who is - seated in his armchair, digesting his dinner, you cry out, - 'Delightful!' This is all that is required. - - "At length midnight is nearly arrived, and ceremony and - restraint, the _nous ne savons que faire_, still reigns at Mrs. - Jackson's; having wished them good-night, let us go!" - -In No. XVI. of the _Original_, September 2, 1835, in an article on the -"Art of Dining," there are the following criticisms on contemporary -dining, which show that some of the sore points were known then:-- - - "It appears to me that nothing can be better contrived to defeat - its legitimate end than a large dinner-party in the London - season--sixteen, for instance. The names of the guests are - generally so announced that it is difficult to hear them; and, in - the earlier part of the year, the assembling takes place in such - obscurity that it is impossible to see. There is often a tedious - and stupefying interval of waiting, caused perhaps by some - affected fashionable, some important politician, or some - gorgeously decked matron, or, it may be, by some culinary - accident. At last comes the formal business of descending into - the dining-room, where the blaze of light produces by degrees - sundry recognitions; but many a slight acquaintance is prevented - from being renewed by the chilling mode of assembling. In the - long days the light is more favourable, but the waiting is - generally more tedious, and half the guests are perhaps leaving - the Park when they ought to be sitting down to dinner. - - "At table intercourse is prevented as much as possible by a huge - centre piece of plate and flowers, which cuts off the one half of - the company from the other, and some very awkward mistakes have - taken place in consequence, from guests having made personal - observations upon those who were actually opposite to them. It - seems strange that people should be invited to be hidden from one - another. Besides the centre piece, there are usually massive - branches to assist in interrupting communication; and perhaps you - are placed between two persons with whom you are not acquainted, - and have no community of interest to become so. - - "When the company is arranged, then comes the perpetual motion of - the attendants, the perpetual declining of what you do not want, - and the perpetual waiting for what you do, or a silent - resignation to your fate. To desire a potato, and to see the dish - handed to your next neighbour, and taking its course in a - direction from you round an immense table, with occasional - retrograde movements and digressions, is one of the - unsatisfactory occurrences which frequently take place; but, - perhaps, the most distressing incident in a grand dinner is to be - asked to take champagne, and, after much delay, to see the butler - extract the bottle from a cooler, and hold it nearly parallel to - the horizon, in order to calculate how much he is to put into the - first glass to leave any for the second. To relieve him and - yourself from the chilling difficulty, the only alternative is to - change your mind and prefer sherry, which, under the - circumstances, has rather an awkward effect. These and an - infinity of minor evils are constantly experienced amidst the - greatest displays, and they have, from sad experience, made me - come to the conclusion that a combination of state and - calculation is the horror of horrors. Some good bread and cheese - and a jug of ale, comfortably set before me and heartily given, - are heaven and earth in comparison. - - "I must not omit to mention, amongst other obstacles to - sociability, the present excessive breadth of fashionable tables, - for the purpose of holding, first, the cumbrous ornaments and - lights before spoken of; secondly, in some cases the dessert, at - the same time with the side dishes; and, lastly, each person's - cover, with its appurtenances; so that to speak across the table, - and through the intervening objects, is so inconvenient as to be - nearly impracticable. To crown all, is the ignorance of what you - have to eat, and the impossibility of duly regulating your - appetite. To be sure, in many particulars, you may form a - tolerably accurate guess, as that, at one season, there will be - partridges in the third course, and at another pigeons, in dull - routine. - - "No wonder that such a system produces many a dreary pause, in - spite of every effort to the contrary, and that one is obliged, - in self-defence, to crumble bread, sip wine, look at the - paintings, if there are any, or, if there are not, blazon the - arms on the plates; or, lastly, retreat into one's self in - despair, as I have often and often done. When dinner is over, - there is no peace till each dish in the dessert has made its - circuit, after which the wine moves languidly round two or three - times, and then settles for the rest of the evening, and coffee - and small talk finish the heartless affair." - -The writer, previously (in No. XV.), gives his views of an ideal -dinner, which he seems to think perfection-- - - "I will give you, dear reader, an account of a dinner I have - ordered this very day, at Lovegrove's at Blackwall, where, if you - have never dined, so much the worse for you. This account will - serve as an illustration of my doctrines on dinner-giving better - than a long abstract discourse. - - "The party will consist of seven men besides myself, and every - guest is asked for some reason--upon which good fellowship mainly - depends, for people brought together unconnectedly had, in my - opinion, better be kept separate. Eight I hold to be the golden - number, never to be exceeded without weakening the efficiency of - concentration. The dinner is to consist of turtle, followed by no - other fish but whitebait, which is to be followed by no other - meat but grouse, which are to be succeeded by apple fritters and - jelly; pastry on such occasions being quite out of place. With - the turtle, of course, there will be punch, with the whitebait - champagne, and with the grouse claret; the two former I have - ordered to be particularly well iced, and they will all be placed - in succession upon the table, so that we can help ourselves as we - please. I shall permit no other wines, unless, perchance, a - bottle or two of port, if particularly wanted, as I hold a - variety of wines a great mistake. With respect to the adjuncts, I - shall take care that there is cayenne, with lemons cut in halves, - within reach of every one for the turtle, and that brown bread - and butter in abundance is set upon the table for the whitebait. - The dinner will be followed by ices and a good dessert, after - which coffee and one glass of liqueur each and no more." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIV. - - Clubs--Theatres--Other amusements--a foreigner's idea of - London--London streets and noises--"Buy a broom?" girls. - - -How did the people amuse themselves? For men of the upper class there -were clubs, which were nothing like so numerous as now. First of all -comes White's, the _doyen_ of all existing clubs--founded as a -Chocolate House in 1698; then, in the next century, the still -surviving clubs were Boodle's, Brooks', and Arthur's; while those of -the present century are the Guards (1813), United Service, Travellers, -Union, United University, Athenæum, Oriental, Junior United Service, -Wyndham, and Oxford and Cambridge. In William the Fourth's reign the -following came into existence: the Carlton and Garrick, 1831; the City -of London, 1832; Reform, 1835; and the Army and Navy, 1837. These, it -will be seen, are purely class clubs; the social clubs were generally -held at some respectable tavern, and their names are as unknown now as -their numbers. - -There were fifteen theatres in London: (1) The King's Theatre or -Italian Opera, (2) Drury Lane, (3) Covent Garden, (4) Haymarket, (5) -English Opera or Lyceum Theatre, (6) Adelphi, (7) Olympic, (8) -Astley's, (9) Surrey, (10) The Coburg (named after Prince Leopold) in -Waterloo Road, now the Victoria, (11) Sadler's Wells, (12) City of -London (defunct), in Shoreditch, (13) Queen's Theatre, Tottenham -Street, Tottenham Court Road (now tenantless), (14) Pavilion, in -Whitechapel, and (15) the Garrick, in Leman Street, Whitechapel, no -longer used as a theatre. This latter was, on January 20, 1831, -prosecuted at the Middlesex Sessions for being unlicensed. "_Francis -Wyman_, _Benjamin Conquest_, and _Charles John Freer_, were indicted -for having, on the 1st of December, and on divers days since, kept a -house for dancing, music, and other like performances, called the -Garrick Subscription Theatre, and situate within twenty miles of -London, not having a licence obtained at the Michaelmas Quarter -Sessions of the Peace for that County." The offence was proved, but -the chairman ruled that the performance of music or dancing, as -incidental to a play, or in an interval between the acts, did not -constitute the keeping of a place for "performing music, dancing, and -such like performances," within the meaning of the Act. The evidence -showed this place was conducted as a theatre, and, as such, the -parties were liable to be proceeded against under other Acts of -Parliament, but he could not say they ought to be convicted under -this. _Not guilty._ This little theatre was particularly recommended -as closing by eleven o'clock--the performances at the others lasting -till twelve or after. - -The following notices as to the prices and commencement of -performances of those which survive will be interesting for comparison -with their present arrangements:-- - - No. 1 was the only theatre with stalls, which, together with the - boxes, were mostly rented for the season. Pit, 8_s._ 6_d._ - Commence at 8. - - No. 2. Commence at 7. Boxes, 7_s._; pit, 3_s._ 6_d._; lower - gallery, 2_s._; upper gallery, 1_s._ Half-price at 9. - - No. 3. Same as Drury Lane. - - No. 4. Commence at 7. Boxes, 5_s._; pit, 3_s._; lower gallery, - 2_s._; upper gallery, 1_s._ Half-price, none; but, as an - equivalent, the performances were seldom over before 1. - - No. 5. No account of prices. Not always open. - - No. 6. Commence, 6.45. Boxes, 4_s._; pit, 2_s._; gallery, 1_s._ - Half-price, 8.30. - - No. 7. Commence, 7. Prices same as Adelphi. Half-price, 8.30. - - No. 8. Commence, 6.30. " " - - No. 9. " " " - - No. 11. " " " - - No. 14. " " " - -Vauxhall was open for singing and for dancing, for those who could -never hope for entrance into Almacks; and, for those who liked Tom and -Jerryism, there were many places which were open all night. But, -during the day, for serious people and families there were many -attractions. One of them, the bazaar, is practically dead. There were -the Soho Bazaar, and the Queen's Bazaar, in Oxford Street, opposite -the Pantheon, in which was exhibited the "Royal Clarence Vase," which -was made of cut coloured glass, in 2400 pieces, so joined as to be -water-tight. It weighed eight tons, its height, including the -pedestal, was fourteen feet, and the inner diameter of the bowl was -twelve feet. The Pantheon, now the offices of Messrs. W. & A. Gilbey, -was opened in May, 1834. It was one of the largest bazaars, with -counters for 250 standings for the sale of fancy articles, millinery, -jewellery, etc., and there were many rooms devoted to the reception of -paintings and statuary. There was the King Street Bazaar, Baker -Street, and something like the bazaars were the Western Exchange, -between Burlington Arcade and Old Bond Street, and the Burlington and -Lowther Arcades. - -The Thames Tunnel, though far from complete, was open to the public on -payment of a shilling, which sum would also admit to the Exhibition of -the Royal Academy at Somerset House. Where the Empire Music Hall, in -Leicester Square, now stands, was Miss Linwood's Exhibition of -Needlework-pictures, mostly copies from old masters, done in coloured -wools. There were the Malediction of Cain, David with his sling, -Reynolds's Laughing and Sleeping Girls, Jephtha's Vow, etc., etc.--and -very beautiful they were. Entrance, two shillings. In Leicester -Square, too, was Burford's Panorama, in which, in April, 1832, were -exhibited panoramas of Bombay and Florence. In May, same year, at the -Queen's Bazaar, was the Physiorama and the Diorama, with eighteen -views altogether, among which were Bristol on fire, Melrose Abbey by -moonlight, Joshua commanding the sun to stand still, and the -Coronation in Westminster Abbey. At the Colosseum in Regent's Park, -finished in 1827 and demolished in 1874, was the famous Panorama of -London, which covered nearly an acre of canvas, painted, under the -superintendence of Mr. Parris, from sketches made by Mr. Horner in -1821, from St. Paul's, at the time when repairs were going on above -the dome of the cathedral. The visitor was raised to the level of the -panorama by means of a lift, which in those days was considered a -wonder. To see this cost one shilling, whilst for another you might -see the Conservatories, Marine Cavern, Swiss Cottage, Waterfall, -Alpine scenery, etc. This year, too, there was another panorama at -Burford's, a view of Milan, and, during the reign, there were several -others, as well as changes at the Diorama. - -At the lower end of St. Martin's Lane was the pavilion of the gigantic -whale, which was found dead, floating off the coast of Belgium, on -November 3, 1827. The skeleton, which was exhibited, was ninety-five -feet long, and eighteen broad, and the prices to view were a shilling -each person, and "for those who sit in the belly of the whale two -shillings." In Bond Street the curious might visit the "Papyro -Museum," which was a collection of many groups of miniature figures -moulded in paper, and habited and coloured to the life. They were -modelled by two ladies, sisters, and took four years to execute. It -was not successful, and its fate is described in the following quaint -advertisement. _Times_, September 15, 1832-- - - "THE PAPYRO MUSEUM, - - or 'Casting Pearls before Swine,' recently illustrated at 28, Old - Bond Street, and here demonstrated as follows, viz:-- - - £ _s._ _d._ - Dr. to 12 weeks rent of exhibition room 25 4 0 - - " Carpenters' and drapers' bills 11 3 1 - - " Three printers' bills 11 2 0 - - " Advertisements in daily and weekly papers 27 4 6 - - " Salaries of receiver, check-taker, and placard - men 25 19 0 - - " Sundries, including carriage, insurance, postage, - magnifying-glasses, stationery, &c. 8 5 4 - ------------ - 108 17 11 - ------------ - Cr. by admissions £71 11_s._; catalogues sold £7 1_s._ 78 12 0 - ------------ ----------- - Loss on exhibition £30 5 11 - - "Reflect on this, ye directors of public taste and opinion, opera - goers, _déjeuné_ doers, and ostentatious patrons of virtu. The - exhibition of a single little mediocre picture, with a big name, - 'The Chapeau de Paille,'[21] cleared, by your indiscriminate, - gregarious appreciation, about twelve hundred guineas! The Tam - O'Shanter Stone Works, between three and four thousand! While - eighty groups of the most unique and exquisite gems of art in - Europe, the achievements of English artists, and wholly devoted - to British charity, realizes, by three months exhibition, a loss - of £30 5_s._ 11_d._! to say nothing of considerable personal - expenses, and the sacrifice of immense mental and physical - exertion. If this be not disgusting, if it be not an eternal - disgrace, if it fail to rouse deep indignation, and to justify - the bitterest contempt, then what can, or ought? Would anomalies - so odious have happened in Dublin or Edinburgh? In Paris, - Brussels, or Amsterdam? In Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, or St. - Petersburgh? In Rome, Naples, Madrid, or even Lisbon? Would such - barbarous and heartless apathy to genius and humanity be evinced - in Algiers, America, Hayti, or, in short, by any people on earth, - but the 'most thinking,' absurd seeking, flea-hunting dilettanti - of the British Metropolis? So much for Royal and aristocratic - patronage; so much for the schoolmaster at home; his boasted - 'march of intellect,' 'penny' intelligence, discernment, - patriotism, and benevolence, forsooth!" - -[Footnote 21: Now in the National Gallery: bought by the trustees from -the late Sir Robert Peel.] - -In May, 1834, was exhibited at the Baker Street Bazaar, a "Padorama," -or a continuous view of the railroad and the adjacent country through -which the line of road passes between Manchester and Liverpool. And -the same month and year was opened a "Cosmorama" in Regent Street, -with views of the Hippodrome at Constantinople, the town of Grenoble, -the interior of the Cathedral of St. Gudule at Brussels, the Lake of -Thun, and the adjacent Alps, Isola Bella on the Lago Maggiore, the -Cascade in the Park of St. Cloud, the Monuments at Philoe, on the -Nile, and the Convent of St. Bernard. These two exhibitions seem to -have been ephemeral, but the panorama in Leicester Square, and the -diorama in Regent's Park, still held their own. - -Another ephemeral exhibition took place in this year, which is -described in the _Times_, June 9-- - - "EXHIBITION OF ANCIENT COSTUME. - - "The exhibition of ancient female costume worn at the courts of - Oliver Cromwell and Charles II., which last year was exhibited at - Regent Street, has this season been opened at the Somerset - Gallery, No. 151, Strand. The dresses which compose this very - curious and entertaining collection, were the property of Mrs. - Luson, who was well known for her eccentricity and peculiar - habits of life. Mrs. Luson died about fourteen years ago, at the - almost antediluvian age of 116 years. The dresses now being - exhibited, with many others which are in the possession of the - proprietor of the exhibition, and also many ancient watches, - bracelets, and female ornaments of various descriptions, came - into the possession of Mrs. Luson, in consequence of her marriage - with Mr. Luson, to whom they descended from Mrs. Bendysh, the - daughter of Lady Fleetwood, and, consequently, the granddaughter - of the Protector Cromwell. We believe they may be considered as - genuine articles, and, as the proprietor affirms them to be, the - identical garments worn by the Cromwell family on the occasions - of Court festivals." - -In Tichborne Street was "Weeks' Mechanical Exhibition," where, among -other things, was shown an automaton tarantula spider, made of steel, -which ran backward and forward, stretched and drew out its legs, and -moved its horns and claws. There was also an "animated white mouse, -formed chiefly of oriental pearls. This little animal runs about the -table, and feeds at pleasure, and looks so tempting that the most -daintily fed tabby might consider it a _bonne bouche_. A -_caterpillar_, the colours of which are represented in enamelled gold -and brilliants, is an admirably minute copy of animated nature; it is -seen feeding on the foliage of a golden tree. Nor must we forget the -figure of an _old woman_, who at a call comes forth from her cottage, -walks leisurely about, supported by the occasional use of her -crutches, while the joints in her arms and legs are all in apparently -natural motion!" Madame Tussaud's exhibition of waxwork was not open -all the year round; up to 1834 the show was in Gray's Inn, and -afterwards at the Lowther Rooms, King William Street, Charing Cross. -Another minor exhibition was the "Microcosm" in Regent Street, near -Piccadilly, where, "by means of the solar microscope, one -wine-glassful of river water is shown to contain reptiles of all -descriptions, from the _newt_ to the _lizard_!" - -The Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park were opened to the public in -1828, and William IV. considerably augmented the collection of the -larger beasts, by presenting the Society with the menagerie which used -to be maintained at the Tower. And there were also the Surrey -Zoological Gardens, in Manor Place, Walworth, which were first opened -to the public in August, 1831. Here was a small menagerie compared -with that of the Zoological Society, the property of Mr. Cross, who -removed here from Exeter Change, and the gardens were more for popular -entertainment. There was a large lake, and, although the place was -opened on a somewhat scientific basis, it soon came to be only for -amusements, such as concerts, fireworks, etc. It was sold soon after -1862, and is now all built over. - -The London of that day was not beautiful, dull rows of houses utterly -devoid of any ornament met the eye everywhere. Architecture was -practically unknown, and the only improvement that had been made for -many years was the building of Regent Street. It was reserved for the -Victorian era to redeem the apathy of the past. Hear what a foreigner, -Baron d'Haussez, writing in 1833, says-- - - "In the more recently built parts of London there is nothing - imposing but the breadth and handsome proportions of its streets; - and in the City nothing but its immense population and the - impress of life which commerce imparts to it. With the exception - of the churches, whose style, whether Greek or Gothic, is - tolerably pure, few buildings fix the attention of a stranger; - but a great number may surprise him by the profusion or the - singularity of their ornaments, or by the beauty of their site. - To this cause, and to the irregularity in the line of buildings, - is chiefly owing the effect produced by the houses in Pall Mall, - Waterloo Place, Regent Street, and Regent's Park. So much pains - have been taken to reproduce the ancient style of architecture, - that one might fancy one's self in an ancient Greek or Roman - City; there is not a house which has not a monumental character. - The slightest examination reveals the numerous imperfections, the - glaring faults of imitation without taste, without reason, and at - variance with the commonest rules of art." - -The Baron is equally outspoken as to some of the social aspects of the -metropolis-- - - "One is often tempted to ask, not if there is a police in London - (its agents in a blue uniform, with numbered collars, scattered - everywhere, night and day, would render that question - superfluous), but what the police does, so little attention is - paid to its details--so great its seeming negligence, in order - not to appear over meddling: certain it is, however, that the - interference of the police is not visible in the cleanliness of - the streets, nor in the indication of their names (for the names - are wanting at the end of most streets), nor in the passing to - and fro of carriages, which are drawn up _pêle mêle_ at the - entrance of all public places, according to the irresponsible - caprice of their drivers. It often happens, in consequence of - this confusion, that vehicles of all sorts become locked - together; this gives rise to a reciprocation of abuse and blows; - nor is the interference of the police here apparent as regards - animals, which, in being driven on market days from one end of - the town to the other, occasion frequent obstructions and often - serious accidents. A certain class of women, too, in spite of - English modesty, exercise their shameless calling in a most - brazen manner, unchecked by the police; neither do they abate - those nuisances of stalls, dangerous to the health and safety of - the public; nor bestow the attention on an infinity of objects - which, in other countries, claim and deserve the attention of the - Municipal Administration. In England, trifles like these are - disregarded, and interference is limited to matters of more - importance. On the other hand, there are few capitals where - robberies are more infrequent, where robbers are so soon - discovered and punished, or where popular movements (brought - about generally, it is true, by a populace without courage, and - unaccustomed to the use of firearms) are sooner suppressed; where - there are fewer disastrous occurrences, fewer collisions between - the different classes of society; or where all these results are - obtained with so little constraint, vexation, and noise." - -But it was a very noisy city, this London. The watchmen, not -altogether done away with, would croak out his "Past twelve o'clock, -and a frosty morning;" the milkwoman made the early morning hideous -with her shrieks, as also did the chimneysweep and the newsman, who -brought your morning paper; the peripatetic vendor of fish, or cats' -meat, cried out, the dustman rang a bell and yelled, whilst all sorts -of street hawkers helped to swell the din. Muffin men not only cried -out but rang a bell, as did also the postman; but then his bell was -legalized and useful, as, on hearing it, people could rush to the door -and give him the letters needing posting instead of going to a -post-office, which might be some distance off, and there were no -pillar-boxes in those days. Then, too, the postmen wore the King's -scarlet. The streets were noisy, the roads being paved with squared -stones, asphalte never having been dreamt of, and wood-pavement being -only just mentioned by the _Mechanic's Magazine_, quoted in the -_Times_ of October 27, 1835-- - -[Illustration: Man.] - - "We observe from the New York papers, that a trial is about to be - made in that city of the plain paving with wood followed in St. - Petersburg, and repeatedly recommended by us for adoption in the - more retired parts of our own metropolis. A part of the Broadway - has been selected for the purpose. 'Each of the small blocks of - wood is of hexagonal shape; the whole are fitted together and - driven up tightly, by a long strip of timber near the gutter at - the side; and the interstices between the blocks to be well - covered with tar or pitch.'" - -[Illustration: Broom girl.] - -One of the features of the streets at that time was the "buy a broom -girl," so called from her cry. Her costume was picturesque, and she -was rather an ornament to the extremely prosaic street. - - "From Deutschland I come, with my light wares all laden, - To dear, happy England, in summer's gay bloom; - Then listen, fair ladies, and young pretty maidens, - And buy of a wand'ring Bavarian, a broom. - Buy a broom? Buy a broom?" - -Their lives were not always happy, as we may see in the _Times_ of -October 5, 1830-- - - "One of the Dutch girls, who obtain a livelihood by selling - brooms, applied to the magistrates at Lambeth Street for a - summons against the man who brought her over to this country for - withholding her wages. It appeared, from her statement, that it - was the practice for the dealers in brooms to bring over a number - of girls, at miserable wages, which are contracted to be paid - when the girl returns to Germany. Many, therefore, have an - opportunity of defrauding the girls of their miserable pittance; - and in this case, from the girl's statement, appeared likely to - add to their number. She had contracted for 1_s._ 8_d._ a week to - sell brooms about the country. On this pittance she was to board, - clothe, and lodge herself, which she had only been able to do by - the bounty and charity of the gentry in the country. Her master - had run into her debt to the amount of £2, and was preparing to - quit England. The magistrates ordered that the summons should be - immediately granted." - -Hone, who has rescued for us so many unconsidered trifles, tells us in -his _Every-day Book_ (vol. i. 809) that-- - - "These girls are Flemings. They come to England from the - Netherlands, in the spring, and they take their departure with - the summer. They have only one shrill twittering note, 'Buy a - broom?' sometimes varying it into the singular plural, 'Buy a - brooms?' It is a domestic cry: two or three go together, and - utter it in company with each other; not in concert, nor to a - neighbourhood, and scarcely louder than will attract the notice - of an inmate at a parlour window or an open street door, or a - lady or two passing in the street. The hair is tightened up in - front and at the sides, and so secured or skewered at the top of - the head, as if it were constricted by a tourniquet; the little - close cap, not larger than an infant's, seems to be put on and - tied down by strings fastened beneath the chin, merely as a - concealment of the machinery. - - "Without a single inflexion of the body--and, for anything that - appears to the contrary, it may be incased in tin--from the - waist, the form abruptly and boldly bows out like a large - beehive, or an arch of carpentry, built downward from above the - hips, for the purpose of opening and distending the enormous - petticoat into numerous plaits and folds, and therefore allowing - the legs to walk without incumbrance. Their pictures are exactly - miniatured in an unpainted penny doll of turnery ware, made all - round, before and behind, and sold in the toy shops for the - amusement of infancy. These Flemish girls are of low stature, - with features as formal and old-fashioned as their dress. Their - gait and manner answer to both. They carry their brooms, not - under the left arm, but upon it, as they would children, upright - between the arm and the side, with the heads in front of the - shoulder. One, and one only, of the brooms is invariably held in - the right hand, and this is elevated with the sharp cry of 'Buy a - Broom?' to any one likely to become a purchaser, till it is - either purchased or declined. - - "The 'brooms' are one entire piece of wood; the sweeping part - being slivered from the handle, and the shavings neatly turned - over, and bound into the form of a besom. They are bought to dust - curtains and hangings with; but good housewives have another use - for them; one of them, dipped in fair water, sprinkles the dried - clothes in the laundry, for the process of ironing, infinitely - better than the hand; it distributes the water more equally and - more quickly." - -Other foreigners were there in the streets, Italian boys, who had -white mice, and played the hurdy-gurdy, and Italian men, who ground -upright pianos, and sometimes had a companion monkey; but the German -brass band was, happily for our forefathers, unknown. - - - - -CHAPTER XXV. - - Holborn Viaduct--Omnibuses--Cabs--Hansom's patent--Posting--Mail - coaches--Stage coaches--Hotels. - - -On all hands, it is admitted that the streets of London were generally -well paved, and there were but two bad hills, Holborn and Snow Hills, -which were caused by the Valley of the Fleet. This has been bridged -over in our time, but a similar viaduct was proposed in 1833. This was -intended to take down the houses from the corner of Bartlett's -Buildings, Holborn, to Seacoal Lane, Skinner Street, or, on the -opposite side, from Hatton Garden to the top of Snow Hill, and erect a -level terrace on brick arches between these points, the houses to be -taken down and set back about fifty feet, or in a line with St. -Andrew's Church, and the arches under the terrace to be fitted up as -shops on Holborn Hill, with a handsome balustrade on the top. An -ornamental arch was to be turned over Farringdon Street, on the -principle of Highgate Archway. This is, virtually, what was begun -about thirty years later, in 1867. - -As the population of London in 1831 (taking the area as now) was only -about a million and a half, it stands to reason that there would be -but about a quarter of the traffic. The first omnibus started from the -Yorkshire Stingo, Paddington, to the Bank, on July 4, 1829, and, -becoming popular, these vehicles were very soon multiplied, and, in -1831, there seem to have been ninety running; for, at a meeting of -omnibus proprietors on September 10th of that year, it was proposed, -in consequence of the danger which arose from competitive racing, to -stop thirty-three of them, and, as the chairman observed, "this -diminution would leave fifty-seven of them to run, so that the public -would have a regular conveyance every three minutes from Paddington to -the Bank, from eight in the morning till ten at night." - -As a specimen of omnibus amenities about this time I may mention a -police case at Marylebone, on August 14, 1830. It was for an assault, -but that was of very little moment; it related more to the convenience -and safety of the public, especially the female portion; for it came -out that by some of the cads (as the conductors were then called) it -was considered fair play to take a lady forcibly from the steps of an -omnibus she was inclined to enter and push her into another, and that -the previous week, two ladies had been so mauled by four strong -fellows, that they would not ride at all. - -The royal assent was given on September 22, 1831, to "An Act to amend -the laws relating to Hackney Carriages," etc., by which it was enacted -that, up to January 5, 1833, they should be limited to twelve -hundred, and, after that date, there was to be no limitation to their -number, except that caused by the law of demand and supply. The -hackney coach was a cumbrous vehicle with two horses, and, in 1823, -one-horsed vehicles were introduced, called cabriolets, speedily -shortened into cabs. They began modestly with twelve, and in 1831 had -increased to one hundred and sixty-five. They were somewhat peculiar, -as the driver sat by the side of his fare, although not with him, and -the possibility of the coachman seeing the amount he was to be given, -and the chance of his upsetting his passenger in case it did not meet -his expectations, is humorously described in Pickwick. - -[Illustration: One-horsed vehicule.] - -On December 23, 1834, Joseph Aloysius Hansom, an architect, took out a -patent, No. 6733, for "a vehicle for conveying loads, etc.," and from -that time to this his name has been inseparably connected in England -with cabs. Not that his cab was like the present "hansom," which is a -product of much evolution. There was no back seat for the driver, and -its "safety" consisted in its cranked axle. He sold his rights to a -company for £10,000, but never got a penny piece of it. The only money -he ever got out of it was £300, which, when the company had got into a -muddle, was paid him to take temporary management and put things -straight again. - -[Illustration: One-horsed vehicule.] - -Thanks to Mr. John Macadam, whose system of using broken stones is -still adopted, the country roads were very much improved. He, unlike -Hansom, received £10,000 from Parliament, and was appointed -Surveyor-General of the Metropolitan roads in 1827. He died in 1836. - -In describing travelling in England during this reign, I cannot do -better than quote from Baron d'Haussez, because a foreigner looks upon -things with a far more critical eye than a native, who is always used -to them. Says he-- - - "The taste for travelling, an expensive taste in any country, is - truly a ruinous one in England. If the means of satisfying it are - numerous, and accompanied by all that can promote pleasure, one - is steeled against this seductive consolation by the perpetual - warning of a speedily drained purse. - - [Illustration: Vehicule.] - - "Posting, placed on a totally different footing from that service - in the rest of Europe, is not the object of an exclusive - privilege. By means of a licence, which cannot be refused, relays - of post-horses are established according to the caprice or will - of those who possess them. The rivalry arising from this practice - does not lower the price of posting, which, London excepted, is - nearly the same on all roads, and differs but little from the - price of relays in France. The number of horses is always fixed - at two or four, without regard to the number of travellers, or to - the form or weight of the carriages. When you desire a - post-chaise, the innkeeper is obliged to furnish it, without your - paying an additional price. These chaises, in the shape of our - _coupés_, are well hung, and very clean and commodious. - - "England has not, as we find in France, a breed of horses - specially appropriated to posting. The greater part of the - post-horses in England are hunters or carriage-horses, which, - having become unfit for either of these purposes, wear out the - remnant of their strength in post-chaises, before they are - transferred to hackney coaches and waggons. Their speed answers - in a great degree to what one would expect from their breed. You - travel at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour (about three - and a half leagues), which includes the time of changing horses. - - "The height of the postillions (always chosen among the smallest - men), and their dress, consisting of a jacket, short breeches, - and half boots, are calculated with a view to reduce to the - smallest possible compass the burden of the horses. There is no - difference between the town harness and that which is kept for - posting. They are both in excellent condition. - - "The mail coaches destined for the transport of letters are - carriages with four inside and six outside places. Behind the - coach the guard is seated, with a blunderbuss and a pair of - pistols before him. These coaches travel at the rate of ten - miles, or four leagues an hour; but their small size (for the - English, in general tall and thick, appear to have little regard - to their personal proportions in the size of their carriages), - and the short time they stop to refresh, render them very - unpleasant modes of conveyance. - - "Stage coaches are very elegant carriages, built to carry fifteen - or eighteen travellers, and a considerable weight in packets, but - on admirable roads. This is an indispensable condition. Without - it, the height of the carriages, the arrangement of the whole of - the luggage on the imperial, and the lightness of the body and - the axletree, would give rise to frequent accidents. - - "The inside of the coach contains only four places. The seat of - the coachman, and another seat placed immediately behind it, - admit of six persons, and two seats facing each other, at the - hind wheels, afford places for six or eight more. These seats are - fixed over boots or boxes for stowing away the luggage. Such - parcels as these cannot contain are placed on the imperial. - - "The desire to breathe the fresh air, rather than economical - considerations, induce even the richest English to give a - preference to outside places. They only go inside when compelled - by bad weather. The place most in request--one knows not - wherefore--is to the left of the coachman; it is considered as - the place of honour, and is reserved for fashionables, and even - for lords, who do not disdain to travel thus. The sole - advantages, which such a station appeared to me to present, were - the being placed near a well-dressed coachman, and the escaping - the chance of travelling by the side of a butcher, a shoemaker, - or some other individual of that class. Each time the coachman - descends from his box, his neighbour has the advantage of being - made the forced depositary of his reins and whip. These are - placed in your hands, as they are taken out of them again, - without the least ceremony. - - "The appointments of an English coach are no less elegant than - its form. A portly looking coachman seated on a very high - coach-box, well dressed, wearing white gloves, a nosegay in his - button-hole, and his chin enveloped in an enormous cravat, drives - four horses perfectly matched and harnessed, and as carefully - groomed as when they excited admiration in the carriages of - Grosvenor and Berkeley Squares. Such is the manner in which - English horses are managed, such, also, is their docility, the - effect either of temperament or training, that you do not remark - the least restiveness in them. Four-horse coaches are to be seen - rapidly traversing the most populous streets of London, without - occasioning the least accident, without being at all - inconvenienced in the midst of the numerous carriages, which - hardly leave the necessary space to pass. The swearing of ostlers - is never heard at the relays, any more than the neighing of - horses; nor are you interrupted on the road by the voice of the - coachman, or the sound of his whip, which differs only from a - cabriolet whip in the length of the thong, and serves as a sort - of appendage, rather than a means of correction in the hand which - carries it. In England, where everything is so well arranged, - where each person knows so well how to confine himself to the - exigencies of his proper position, the horses do better what they - have to do than the horses of other countries, and that, too, - without the need of a brutal correction. One may travel from one - end of England to the other without hearing the sound of a whip, - or the hallooing of conductors, which in France fall so - disagreeably on the ears of travellers. - - "Among the wonders of English civilization, the inns should be - mentioned. In many of the larger towns they are magnificent, and - they are good and well supplied in the smallest. In the greater - part of them the servants are in livery, and in all their - attendance is prompt and respectful. On their arrival, - travellers are received by the master of the house, whose decent - dress indicates a respectful feeling towards strangers. - Introduced into a well-heated, well-furnished room, they have - never to wait for a meal, the simplicity of which, in the way of - cookery, is atoned for by the elegance, often the richness, of - the plate and ware, and the superior quality of the meat. A - sleeping-room, as comfortable as this kind of apartment (so - neglected in England) can be, completes the _agrément_ of your - sojourn. Your discontent does not commence till the exorbitant - bill proves that such attentions, far from being disinterested, - are, on the contrary, dearly charged for. Seldom do you separate - from your host with a reciprocation of politeness. Yet, - notwithstanding the coldness with which his attentions are - received, the landlord does not cease to remain by the side of - the traveller till his carriage is in motion." - -With regard to the London hotels, travellers by the coaches generally -stopped where they stopped, and were very fairly treated. Of course, -there was none of the palatial magnificence of the modern hotel, but -there was an amount of homely comfort to which the people of those -days were accustomed. The West End hotels, save those for awful -swells, were about Covent Garden, and Morley's Hotel at Charing Cross -was one of the best. The first monster hotel in London was the Great -Western, and its financial success led the way to the palaces that now -adorn our West End thoroughfare. - -There is an amusing anecdote _re_ "Mine Host" given in the _New -Sporting Magazine_, and quoted in the _Times_ of March 27, 1835-- - - "INNKEEPER'S WAYS. - - "I will conclude with a story told me the other day, by a Kentish - gentleman, of an innkeeper's 'ways' on the Dover Road. Two - gentlemen having dined and stayed all night, called for the bill - in the morning, and one of them happened to be within earshot - when the waiter went to the landlord to have it made out, and - overheard the following colloquy: Waiter: 'Please, sir, the - gemmen in No. 5 wants their bill.'--Landlord: 'Very well' (taking - down a printed form), 'let me hear what they had.'--Waiter: - 'Soup, sir.'--Landlord: 'Soup; very well; what sort was - it?'--Waiter: 'Mock turtle.'--Landlord: 'Mock turtle, 3_s._ Did - they make any remark about it?'--Waiter: 'No, sir; only one of - them said it was werry good.'--Landlord: 'Did they eat of it - twice?'--Waiter: 'Yes, sir.'--Landlord: 'Oh, then, mock turtle, - 5_s._; now go on.'--Waiter: 'Fried sole and shrimp - sauce.'--Landlord: 'Fried sole, 2_s._; shrimp sauce, 1_s._; 3_s._ - Did they make any remark about that?'--Waiter: 'One of them said - that the fish was werry fresh.--Landlord: 'Indeed! then, fried - sole, 3_s._; shrimp sauce, 1_s._ 6_d._; 4_s._ 6_d._ Now go - on.'--Waiter: 'Small leg of Welsh mutton, potatoes, and French - beans.'--Landlord: 'Mutton, 5_s._; potatoes, 1_s._; French beans, - 5_s._; rather early for French beans, isn't it?'--Waiter: 'Yes, - sir; both the gemmen remarked that it was werry - early.'--Landlord: 'Oh, then, French beans, 10_s._'" - -Of the coaching hotels enough has been written from Smollett's time, -or before, to date; and, as for their number, any visitor to Barnet -can judge, by those that remain, several having been made to serve -other purposes. This was the first change out of London, on the great -North Road, and even I remember fifteen coaches running each way, and -the last one being run off. I think it was either the Luton Coach or -the Bedford Times. - - - - -CHAPTER XXVI. - - Steam carriages on roads--Commission thereon--Steam - omnibus--Railways--A nuisance--Railways started during the - reign--Opening of the Greenwich Railway. - - -But the road was not monopolized by horseflesh. Steam was asserting -itself, and many were the trials of steam carriages on the turnpike -roads. In 1821 Mr. Julius Griffith invented, and Messrs. Bramah -manufactured, a carriage, on which the engineer sat in front, and two -directors or steersmen behind, in vehicles separated from the -carriage, which swung easily on a variety of springs fastened into a -strong connecting frame. The error of this invention lay in the -boiler, which consisted of 114 tubes. These, unfortunately, would not -always contain the water; and, when empty, they became so heated, that -no force-pump could inject the water. In 1822, 1824, and 1825, Mr. -David Gordon tried his hand on steam carriages and failed. In 1829 Sir -James Anderson and Mr. James constructed one, under the patents -obtained by the latter gentleman in 1824 and 1825, and are said to -have worked the engine at a pressure of two hundred pounds each -square inch of the piston. In 1827 Mr. Goldsworthy Gurney patented -one, as did also Messrs. Hill and Burstall in 1828. - -There was one running in August, 1830, belonging to Messrs. Summers -and Co., which began its journey by bursting a pipe. This repaired, it -utterly demoralized itself by running into a turnpike gatepost at -Turnham Green, and had to be taken home. Anyhow they must have become -fairly common, for we read in the _Times_, May 12, 1831-- - - "STEAM CARRIAGES ON COMMON ROADS. - - "Some of the advantages to the public from the use of steam on - the turnpike roads already begin to show themselves. Previous to - the starting of the steam coach between Gloucester and - Cheltenham, the fares were four shillings each person--now the - public are taken by all the coaches at one shilling per head. On - Tuesday morning the steam coach took thirty-three passengers from - Cheltenham to Gloucester in fifty minutes." - -Again, _Times_, June 7, 1831, quoting the _Glasgow Chronicle_, says-- - - "Mr. Gurney's[22] steam carriage was, on Wednesday night, blown - to pieces by an explosion of the boiler. The catastrophe occurred - in the square of the cavalry barracks, where the carriage was - exhibiting. It had gone round the square several times, and - stopped at one corner of it, where some people got out. Two boys, - sons of Mr. Maclure, of the Port Eglinton Inn, at that time - entered, and were about to be followed by two gentlemen, when the - boiler burst with a tremendous explosion, and shattered the - vehicle into numberless pieces. The two boys were very seriously - injured in the face and other parts of the body, and they now lie - in very precarious circumstances." - -[Footnote 22: Tom Hood notices this steam carriage in his poem of -"Conveyancing"-- - - "Instead of _journeys_, people now - May go upon a _Gurney_, - With steam to do the horses' work, - By _powers of attorney_; - - Tho' with a load, it may explode, - And you may all be _un_done! - And find you're going _up to heaven_, - Instead of _up to London_."] - -The road steam carriage was such a novelty, that people hardly knew -what to make of it, so a Select Committee of the House of Commons upon -it was appointed, who reported thereon to the House on October 12, -1831. The conclusion of the report was as follows:-- - - "Sufficient evidence has been adduced to convince your - Committee-- - - "1. That carriages can be propelled by steam on common roads at - an average rate of ten miles per hour. - - "2. That at this rate they have conveyed upwards of fourteen - passengers. - - "3. That their weight, including engine, fuel, water, and - attendants, may be under three tons. - - "4. That they can ascend and descend hills of considerable - inclination with facility and safety. - - "5. That they are perfectly safe for passengers. - - "6. That they are not (or need not be, if properly constructed) - nuisances to the public. - - "7. That they will become a speedier and cheaper mode of - conveyance than carriages drawn by horses. - - "8. That, as they admit of greater breadth of tire than other - carriages, and as the roads are not acted on so injuriously as by - the feet of horses in common draught, such carriages will cause - less wear of roads than coaches drawn by horses. - - "9. That rates of toll have been imposed on steam carriages which - would prohibit their being used on several lines of road, were - such charges permitted to remain unaltered." - -On August 20, 1832, we hear of a steam carriage, constructed by a Mr. -Hancock, intending to make an experimental trip to Windsor, and coming -to grief at Dachet. In November and December of the same year we learn -that a steam carriage, constructed by Captain Macirone and Mr. Squire, -was running about Paddington, and that "the jolting was not much -greater than an ordinary stage coach." In the _Times_ of April 25, -1833, we read of a - - "STEAM OMNIBUS. - - "Monday afternoon an omnibus, worked by steam on a new and - ingenious principle, was tried on the Paddington Road. The - machine altogether does not exceed the space which an ordinary - omnibus, with horses attached, would occupy, and the appearance - is particularly neat. The body is capable of containing fourteen - persons, the engine dividing that from the furnace in the rear. - The passengers experience no inconvenience from heat, and, coke - being the fuel employed, there is no annoyance from smoke. The - engine works on a crank, not on an axle, and the propelling power - is applied to the wheels by means of iron chains. The chief - recommendation, that which timid persons will consider most, is - that there can be no possibility of explosion. The propelling - power is equal to fifteen or twenty miles an hour; but, even when - the steam is raised to its very highest pressure, there is no - risk, the water being deposited in several iron pipes, or what - are termed chamber boilers, with a valve to carry off the - superfluous steam. The guide, who sits in front, has complete - control of the vehicle, and can arrest its progress - instantaneously. It is intended to ply regularly from Paddington - to the Bank." - -Captain Macirone's steam carriage was repeatedly noticed by the -Press, and in 1834 there is an advertisement of a company to work Dr. -Church's steam carriage; but all the schemes came to nought. - -When William IV. came to the throne there were practically no railways -for passenger traffic; and it was during his reign that nearly all the -main lines in England were projected. I now marvel at their having -attained so rapid a popularity, for the travelling was very -uncomfortable. The idea of a stage coach was very difficult to get rid -of, and the carriages were subdivided so as to represent it as much as -possible--even their outsides were modelled, as far as could be, to -look like a coach, and to this day a train is, in railway _parlance_, -made up of so many coaches. The first class were padded and cushioned, -but were very stuffy, having small windows; the second class were of -plain painted wood, narrow seats, no room for one's legs, and _very_ -small windows; in the third class there were no seats, it was simply a -cattle truck in which every one stood up, and as there was no roof, it -was rather lively travelling in wet weather. - -Railways were soon considered as a nuisance to the public, and on -March 30th, at York, an action of _Rex_ v. _Pease and others_ was -tried. It was an indictment for a nuisance against the Stockton and -Darlington Railway Company, which was opened on September 27, 1825. By -an Act of Parliament, passed in 1821, the defendants were authorized -to form a railway from Darlington to Sunderland, and, by another Act -passed in 1823, they were authorized to use locomotive engines -thereon. The railway which, it was agreed, had been formed upon the -line pointed out in the Act of Parliament, was opened for public use -in 1825. Only one steam engine was at first used; but the number -gradually increased till there were seven in operation. This increase -had been rendered necessary by the increasing business on the railway. - -For about a mile and three-quarters the railway runs in a parallel -line with the high-road leading from Yarm to Stockton, the two roads -being at an average distance from each other of fifty yards. The -nuisance complained of was the fright and danger which the noise and -the smoke of the steam engines occasioned to passengers on this part -of the highway. A variety of witnesses proved that accidents -frequently happened in consequence of horses taking fright at the -steam engine. Counsel for the railway stated that he was willing to -admit that his clients had been guilty of a nuisance, unless their -conduct was justified by the Act of Parliament, according to the -directions of which, the railway had been formed, and the steam -engines used. He suggested, therefore, that the best mode would be for -the jury to return a special verdict, finding the facts already -proved, and also that the defendants had used the best engines they -could procure, and availed themselves of every improvement offered. -The counsel for the prosecution, after some deliberation, agreed to -the proposal, and a nominal verdict of guilty was recorded. - -The first railway opened in this reign was in 1830, the Liverpool and -Manchester, which melancholy event has already been noticed. In -December, 1831, was opened that between Dundee and Newtyle. In 1833 -the following railways were projected. The London and Bristol -(G.W.R.), London and Southampton (L. & S.W.R.), London and Birmingham -(L. &. N.W.R), London and Brighton, and London and Greenwich; in 1834 -the Great Northern Railway; in 1835 the Eastern Counties Railway -(G.E.R.), and the Commercial or Blackwall Railway. The other railways -opened for traffic were the Leeds and Selby, September 22, 1834; -Dublin and Kingdown on December 17, 1834; London and Greenwich, -December 14, 1836, and Liverpool and Birmingham, July 4, 1837. Besides -these there were many others projected, some of which came to nought. -Take, for instance, one column of advertisements (p. 2, c. 5, _Times_, -April 18, 1836)--South Western Railway, Padstow Breakwater, and Rock -Delabole, Camelford, Callington, and Plymouth Railway, South London -Union Railway, Bristol and Gloucestershire Railway, Margate and -Ramsgate Railway, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Sandwich, Deal and Dover -Railway, Gloucester and Hereford Railway, Harwich Railway, Westminster -and Deptford Railway, and the Great Central Irish Railway. - -In fact, the satire in _John Bull_ of April 9, 1836, was not -altogether undeserved-- - - "There is always a clown in a pantomime who knocks his head - against a door, and tumbles on his nether end, and grins and - distorts his limbs, and does, in short, a thousand feats to make - the ridiculous performance more ridiculous still. In the - pantomime of railroads, in which the tricks are innumerable, - there is a clown, one so supereminently ridiculous, that if - Grimaldi were still young and active enough to wear his blue tuft - and wafer-dotted unmentionables, he would be jealous. The scheme - to which we allude is one called by the sounding name of an - International Railway--London, Paris, and Brussels, by Dover and - Calais; and there are blanks left in the prospectus (and likely - to be left) for the names of French patrons and Belgian patrons, - and provincial directors, and all the rest of it; and the - beginning of the suggestion is, that people are to go to Croydon - in the first instance, as the shortest way to Belgium. Croydon - seems an odd starting-point for Brussels; however, the prospectus - infers that London has something to do with it; how much, we may - venture to guess, by finding that the railroad communication with - London is disavowed before the committee to whom the Bill is - referred. As to Brussels and Paris, they will come, of course, - when once the sea is crossed; but we must say that the Grimaldi - railway, which renders it necessary to proceed by the old mode of - travelling to Croydon in order to be steamed to Brussels, is very - like paying a shilling to be rattled in an omnibus from London to - a field in Bermondsey marsh, in order to climb up a flight of - stairs to be rattled along the railroad at Deptford, at which - place the traveller is suddenly ejected, his object being - Greenwich (after which town the absurdity is delusively named), - which it neither does, nor, thanks to the wisdom of Parliament, - ever will reach; so that, what with the coloured hearse through - the City, before you get to the starting-place in the bog, the - climb upstairs, and the wearisome walk through the mud of the - Lower Road to Greenwich, after you come down again, you would - save exactly six pennies and three-quarters of an hour if you - stepped into a fast-going coach at the Shoulder of Mutton or the - Salopian at Charing Cross, and went slap bang to Greenwich - itself, for the trifling charge of one shilling. This is absurd - for a short affair and a matter of joke; but the railroad from - Croydon to Brussels, for a serious concern and a long business, - 'beats Bannagher,' as Mr. O'Connell says." - -The Greenwich Railway referred to was opened by the Lord Mayor and -civic authorities, on December 14, 1836, but only as far as Deptford; -and the whole affair seems to have been a muddle. The _Times_ of -December 15 says-- - - "On the arrival of the several trains at Deptford the occupants - of the carriages were allowed to get out; but here the - arrangements fell far short of what we expected, for no - preparation was made for their return. Many who had got out in - the hopes of being present at the presentation to the Lord Mayor, - and others who wished to regale themselves at some of the - neighbouring inns at Deptford, could not, from the density of the - crowds below the railway, get out; and, on retracing their steps - to the railway, they found it a work of still greater difficulty - and danger to return to the carriages from which they had - alighted. Many who had taken the precaution to notice the name of - the engine which drew the train, and the number of the carriage - which brought them down, got back in the line between two trains, - but were told by the conductors that they could not return by - that way without great risk, for that the trains would return - immediately. In consequence of this, many persons who came down - by the trains went on to Deptford, and thence to town by the - coaches." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVII. - - Cases of wife selling--Duelling--Cases of--O'Connell and - D'Israeli--Other duels. - - -There were two amusements somewhat fashionable in this reign, wife -selling and duelling. The former is still in existence, the latter is -extinct in England. The halter round the neck was used when the wife -was sold at market, it being considered that, being thus accoutred, -she was on a level with the cattle, and thus could be legally sold. -Here is a ballad of the period thereon. - - "SALE OF A WIFE. - - "Attend to my ditty, you frolicsome folk, - I'll tell you a story--a comical joke; - 'Tis a positive fact, what I'm going to unfold, - Concerning a woman who by auction was sold. - - _Chorus._ - - Then long may he flourish, and prosper through life, - The sailor that purchased the carpenter's wife. - - "A carpenter lived not a mile off from here, - Being a little, or rather, too fond of his beer; - Being hard up for brass--it is true, on my life, - For ten shillings, by auction, he sold off his wife. - - "The husband and wife they could never agree, - For he was too fond of going out on the spree; - They settled the matter, without more delay, - So, tied in a halter, he took her away. - - "He sent round the bell-man, announcing the sale, - All in the hay-market, and that without fail; - The auctioneer came, with his hammer so smart, - And the carpenter's wife stood up in a cart. - - [Illustration: Sale of a wife.] - - "Now she was put up without grumble or frown, - The first bid was a tailor, that bid half a crown; - Says he, 'I will make her a lady so spruce, - And fatten her well upon cabbage and goose.'[23] - - "'Five and sixpence three farthings,' a butcher then said, - 'Six and ten,' said a barber, with his curly head; - Then up jump'd a cobbler, said he, 'In three cracks, - I'll give you nine shillings and two balls of wax.' - - "'Just look at her beauty,' the auctioneer cries; - 'She's mighty good-tempered, and sober likewise.' - 'Damme,' said a sailor, 'she's three out of four, - Ten shillings I bid for her, not a screw more.' - - "'Thank you, sir, thank you,' said the bold auctioneer, - 'Going for ten. Is there nobody here - Will bid any more? Is not this a bad job? - Going! Going! I say--she's gone for ten bob.' - - "The hammer was struck; that concluded the sale, - The sailor he paid down the brass on the nail; - He shook hands with Betsy, and gave her a smack, - And she jumped straddle-legs on to his back. - - "The people all relished the joke, it appears, - And gave the young sailor three hearty good cheers; - He never cried stop, with his darling so sweet, - Until he was landed in Denison Street. - - "They sent for fiddler and piper to play, - They danced and they sung, till the break of day; - Then Jack to his hammock with Betsy did go, - While the fiddler and piper played 'Rosin, the beau.'" - -[Footnote 23: As applied to tailors, "cabbage" means the remnants of -cloth stolen in making up garments. The "goose" is the large iron used -for pressing seams, etc.] - -I have eleven cases of wife selling in this reign, copied from the -_Times_, and I have no doubt I have overlooked some more. The first -is-- - - "SELLING A WIFE. - - "The following memorandum (says the _Stockport Advertiser_), - drawn upon a 1_s._ 6_d._ stamp, will best explain the nature of a - bargain between two fellows at a beer shop, in the Hillgate, in - this town. Milward is a butcher, and was last week fined before - our magistrates for using uneven balances in his trading - transactions. The other persons are unknown to us:-- - - "'I, Booth Milward, bought of William Clayton, his wife, for five - shillings, to be delivered on the 25th of March, 1831, to be - delivered in a _alter_ at Mr. John Lomases house. - - "'WILLIAM CLAYTON. - "'Witnesses: Joseph Gordon, G. Wood, George Whalley.'" - -The next is from the _Times_, February 25, 1832-- - - "BUYING AND SELLING WIVES. - - "In an evening paper we find the following story: 'A most - disgusting and disgraceful scene happened in Smithfield Market on - Monday last, which at the present day is of very rare occurrence. - About two o'clock in the afternoon a fellow came into the market - leading his wife by a halter, and gave her to a drover, desiring - him to tie her to the pens and sell her to the best bidder. The - woman, who did not appear to be above twenty-five years of age, - and not bad looking, suffered herself to be tied up very quietly. - A crowd of persons soon gathered round, and a man of rather - respectable appearance entered into a negotiation with the drover - for the purchase of the wife; and, after some higgling, she was - finally knocked down to him for the sum of ten shillings. The - money was paid, but the drover refused to release her except on - payment of two shillings as his commission for the sale which he - had effected. Some confusion took place about the demand, but it - was eventually paid, and she was released from the pens, opposite - the Half Moon public house, and delivered to her purchaser, who - appeared highly pleased with his bargain. The parties adjourned - to a neighbouring public house, where the late husband spent the - greater part of the money in brandy and water.'" - -The following is from the _Times_ of April 26, 1832 (from the -_Lancaster Herald_), and is somewhat out of the common run of these -affairs:-- - - "SALE OF A WIFE BY HER HUSBAND AT CARLYLE. - - "On Saturday, the 7th instant, the inhabitants of this city - witnessed the sale of a wife by her husband, Joseph Thompson, who - resides in a small village about three miles from this city. He - rents a farm of about forty-two or forty-four acres, and was - married at Hexham in the year 1829 to his present wife. She is a - spruce, lively, and buxom damsel, apparently not exceeding - twenty-two years of age, and appeared to feel a pleasure at the - exchange she was about to make. They had no children during their - union, and that, together with some family disputes, caused them - by mutual agreement to come to the resolution of finally - parting. Accordingly the bellman was sent round to give public - notice of the sale, which was to take place at twelve o'clock. - This announcement attracted the notice of thousands. She appeared - above the crowd, standing on a large oak chair, surrounded by - many of her friends, with a rope or halter made of straw about - her neck. She was dressed in rather a fashionable country style, - and appeared to some advantage. The husband, who was also - standing in an elevated position near her, proceeded to put her - up for sale, and spoke nearly as follows:-- - - "'Gentlemen, I have to offer to your notice my wife, Mary Ann - Thompson, otherwise Williamson, whom I mean to sell to the - highest and fairest bidder. Gentlemen, it is her wish, as well as - mine to part for ever. She has been to me only a bosom serpent. I - took her for my comfort and the good of my house, but she became - my tormentor, a domestic curse, a night invasion, and a daily - devil. (Great laughter.) Gentlemen, I speak truth from my heart - when I say, "May God deliver us from troublesome wives and - frolicsome widows!" Avoid them as you would a mad dog, a roaring - lion, a loaded pistol, cholera morbus, Mount Etna, or any other - pestilential phenomena in nature. - - "Now I have shown you the dark side of my wife, and told you her - faults and her failings, I will introduce the bright and sunny - side of her, and explain her qualifications and her goodness. She - can read novels and milk cows; she can laugh and weep with the - same ease that you can take a glass of ale when thirsty; indeed, - gentlemen, she reminds me of what the poet says of women in - general-- - - "'Heaven gave to women the peculiar grace, - To laugh, to weep, to cheat the human race.' - - "She can make butter and scold the maid; she can sing Moore's - Melodies, and plait her frills and caps; she cannot make rum, - gin, or whisky, but she is a good judge of the quality from long - experience in tasting them. I therefore offer her, with all her - perfections and imperfections, for the sum of 50_s._ - - "After an hour or two, she was purchased by Henry Mears, a - pensioner, for the sum of 20_s._ and a Newfoundland dog. The - happy people immediately left town together, amidst the shouts - and huzzas of the multitude, in which they were joined by - Thompson, who, with the greatest good humour imaginable, - proceeded to put the halter which his wife had taken off round - the neck of his Newfoundland dog, and then proceeded to the first - public-house, where he spent the remainder of the day." - -In the _Times_ of March 25, 1833, is the following:-- - - "A grinder, named Calton, sold his wife publicly in the market - place, Stockport, last Monday week. She was purchased by a - shopmate of her husband for a gallon of beer! The fair one, who - had a halter round her neck, seemed quite agreeable.--_Blackburn - Gazette._" - -The _Times_ of May 24th, 1834, quoting the _Paisley Advertiser_, -says-- - - "SALE OF A WIFE. - - "Monday night a party of doughty neighbours met in a house in New - Sneddon to enjoy a tankard or two of reaming swats, and to decide - by which of the rival 'best possible instructors' they were, - henceforth, to be enlightened. In the course of the discussion, - one of them announced his intention of setting up a dram shop, - and stated that there was only one article wanting. 'What was - that?' 'A wife!' 'A wife!' exclaimed the host--whose name is as - the name of the upper part of the garment in which the humble - daughters of St. Mirren delight to conceal their beauties--'I - will sell you mine for twenty pounds Scots.' Some higgling took - place, in the course of which the virtues of the wife shone out - with such conspicuous lustre that her price was raised to twenty - pounds sterling. This sum the purchaser agreed to pay, a contract - was drawn out, and signed by three witnesses, the conditions of - sale being that the money was to be tabled, and the transfer - completed by next day, at noon. - - "Next day came, and found the seller, the purchaser, and their - witnesses once more assembled, discussing at once the terms of - agreement and a can of grog. Some of the witnesses seemed to - think that the joke was carried far enough, and proposed that the - whole proceedings should be nullified on the host forfeiting £1, - to be 'melted,' in the house; but the host was too well up to - trap to be wheedled out of his £20, and saddled with his wife to - boot; he therefore persisted in the fulfilment of the contract, - and, as the purchaser was equally averse to a rue bargain, - arrangements were put in operation to complete the transaction. - - "Meanwhile, the wife, whose good qualities may be judged of by - the great rise which took place in her price, while the terms - were under discussion, got a hint of the negotiations that were - pending, and, being a good deal nettled that her opinion should - not have been asked in an affair in which she was so nearly - concerned, sallied out to a neighbouring court, known by the name - of 'Little _Ire_land,' and sounded the tocsin of alarm. A much - smaller matter than the sale of a wife was enough to agitate - 'Little _Ire_land.' With _ire_ akin to that which animated the - bosom of 'Cutty Sark' and her compeers, as they sallied out of - Alloway Kirk to avenge themselves on Tam o'Shanter and his mare - Meg, sallied out the daughters of Little Ireland to avenge the - insult thus offered to one of the best half of creation. Every - damsel who could wag a tongue--mercy on us, how numerous a - class!--every one who could wield a poker, fender, or pair of - tongs, flew to arms, and resolved on a simultaneous attack; while - the high contracting parties, and their assistant negotiators - were within, discussing terms, wholly ignorant of the storm that - was brewing around them. How the victory would have gone it is no - way difficult to predict; but before active hostilities - commenced, the police arrived, and conveyed the negotiators to - the office, where they were detained until the vast crowds which - had collected had dispersed, and until security had been given - that appearance would be made next day. There the whole party - were brought before the magistrates, and looked exceedingly - foolish on the occasion. No such an affair as the sale of a wife - seems ever to have been heard of in these northern latitudes, - and, as the fiscal knew from the parricide case of old, that to - prescribe a punishment for a crime was a powerful means to get - the crime introduced, he resolved not to be privy to such a - doing, and, therefore, restricted his charge to a breach of the - peace. The magistrate did not find that a breach of the peace - could be brought home to the parties; and, after animadverting in - severe terms on the disgraceful nature of such proceedings, and - addressing the salesman and purchaser in terms which, we dare - say, they will not soon forget, he dismissed them from the bar. - The purchaser, who is verging on three score years and ten, - seemed to have come into court predetermined to appeal, and - declared that a bargain was a bargain; but, with the whisky still - buzzing in his head, he appealed at a wrong time, and tabled his - shilling before the sentence of dismissal was pronounced." - -The lady got the best of it on another occasion, according to the -_Halifax Express_, quoted in the _Times_ of April 4, 1836-- - - "On Wednesday, May Day Green, Barnsley, was the scene of an - extraordinary encounter. A woman beat her husband on the face - till the blood flew about; he, in turn, sent the bellman round to - proclaim the sale of his wife by auction; but, when he appeared - with a halter to sell her, the Amazon rushed upon him again with - her fists, and put him to total rout." - -As a last example,[24] I will give another, which occurred in London, -and which is thus reported in the _Times_ of August 2, 1836-- - -[Footnote 24: The reader can find others in the _Times_ of March 18, -1833; February 1, and November 2, 1836; and February 9, 1837.] - - "SALE OF A WIFE. - - "Yesterday morning, between ten and eleven o'clock, one of those - disgraceful scenes, the sale of a wife, took place at the New - Islington Cattle Market. It appears that at about nine o'clock a - man about forty-two years of age, of shabby genteel exterior, led - a well-looking young woman, about thirty years of age, with a - halter round her waist, to Smithfield Market; and, having tied - her up, was about to offer her to the highest bidder; but, - several persons interfering, it was agreed to go forthwith to - Islington Market to accomplish their object; and, in order to - expedite the matter, they jumped into a hackney coach, and were - driven off at full speed, to the spot where the marriage knot was - to be dissolved. They were followed from Smithfield by a young - man of plausible appearance, who on seeing the wife tied up at - Islington Market for sale, bid 5_s._ for her, but he was outbid - by several persons, but, subsequently, became purchaser of the - lot for 26_s._, and conveyed her home in a coach to his lodgings. - The other man walked home, whistling merrily, declaring he had - got rid of a troublesome, noisy woman, and that it was the - happiest day of his life. Surely the police ought to have - interfered to prevent such a disgusting outrage upon Society." - -Well! the lower classes of the time were simply animal brutes, with -very little of Arnold's "sweetness and light" in their composition. -Uneducated, ignorant, very seldom moving from one spot, badly housed, -and nobody's care, it would have been a wonder had it been otherwise. -The middle-class were steady-going, stay-at-home people, with not too -much brains, and even of them making but little use--and they were -only emerging from the barbarism which required the solution of any -disagreement among men to be settled by physical force, either by -fists or the duel. It is astonishing to see how these contests fell -off in this reign, as public opinion declared itself against the -practice of duelling. - -People of old quarrelled and killed each other about such very -trifles. Colonel Montgomery was shot in a duel about a dog, Captain -Ramsay in one about a servant, Mr. Featherston in one about a recruit, -Sterne's father in one about a goose, and some one else about an "acre -of anchovies" instead of "artichokes." One officer was challenged for -merely asking his opponent to have another glass, and another was -compelled to fight about a pinch of snuff, while General Barry was -challenged by a Captain Smith for declining a glass of wine with him -at dinner in a steamboat, although the general had pleaded in excuse -that wine invariably made him sick at sea. - -But when William the Fourth was King, public opinion was set against -the practice, and this was so felt, that quarrelsome persons betook -themselves abroad to settle their differences. This was the case in a -famous duel in 1834, between Captain Helsham and Lieutenant Crowther, -at Boulogne, in which the latter was killed. Captain Helsham stood his -trial for murder at the Old Bailey on October 8th, and was -_acquitted_. In September of the same year Lord Bingham and Major -Fitzgerald met at Brussels, but they did not fight. O'Connell's tongue -got him into many scrapes. In 1815 he shot D'Esterre in a duel. In -October, 1834, he was challenged by Sir Henry Hardinge for having -applied most offensive and outrageous terms of personal insult to him; -but the Irishman refused to fight, which was a wonder, as they were -generally too eager for the fray. Witness a hostile meeting which took -place near Ashbourne, about ten miles from Dublin, on December 23, -1834, between Messrs. Pope and L'Estrange, in which "the -misunderstanding arose from expressions used in the theatre regarding -a lady whom Mr. Pope had attended thither." One newspaper, the _Times_ -of October 2, 1832, records three duels. - -The O'Connells were particularly fond of duelling. On December 13, -1832, William John O'Connell, nephew of the "Liberator," fought a Mr. -Richard Kearney in the deer park at Greenwich. All the parties -concerned had dined together at the Piazza Hotel, Regent Street, and -afterwards adjourned to some place of amusement, where a row ensued, -and the outcome was a meeting at Chalk Farm the same evening, but as -the evening was too dark, it was adjourned till the next morning, and -came off in Greenwich Park. O'Connell shot his man in the leg, and was -afterwards apprehended by the police, and bound over to keep the peace -for six months. On May 11, 1834, a duel was fought at Exeter, between -Dr. Hennis, a young physician, and Sir John Jeffcott, recently -appointed Chief Justice and Judge of the Vice Admiralty Court, Sierra -Leone. Dr. Hennis did not fire, but was mortally wounded by the judge, -who at once got on board a ship and set sail for Africa, thus eluding -the police. The seconds were arrested, as accessories, but at their -trial were acquitted. - -In 1834, Sir Robert Peel challenged both Dr. Lushington and Joseph -Hume, but the causes of quarrel were courteously explained, and no -meetings took place. On May 5, 1835, a duel was fought, in a field on -the Finchley Road, between Lord Alvanley and Morgan O'Connell, son of -the "Liberator." The ground was measured at twelve paces, and it was -agreed that Colonel Damer should give the word, which was to be -"Ready!--Fire!" The parties were placed, and the pistols were -delivered, Colonel Damer gave the words, and O'Connell fired; but not -so Lord Alvanley, who said he thought the words were only preparatory, -and claimed his right to fire. This was disallowed, and another round -was fired without effect. Mr. O'Connell not being satisfied, yet -another was arranged, after which, Lord Alvanley's second declared he -would walk his man off the ground; this also was fired, without -effect, and the duel terminated. - -I have now to chronicle a passage of arms which, luckily, was -bloodless, between two celebrities--Daniel O'Connell and Benjamin -D'Israeli. At a meeting of the Franchise Association, held on May 2, -1835, at the Corn Exchange, Dublin, O'Connell stated that he had -something to mention, personal to himself. Of all the abusive attacks -that had ever been made on him, that recently volunteered by a Mr. -D'Israeli, the unsuccessful Tory candidate at Taunton, was the most -reckless, unprovoked, and unwarrantable. All that he knew of this Mr. -D'Israeli was, that he had sent to him (Mr. O'Connell) in 1831, to -write a letter in his favour to the electors of Wickham, for which he -was a candidate in the Radical interest. On that occasion he was -unsuccessful, as well as in a subsequent attempt as a Radical in -Marylebone. Since then he had made some attempts to get into -Parliament as a Tory, and certainly no one was so fit for the Tory -faction as a man who had been twice rejected by the Radicals. - -He had called him (Mr. O'Connell) a traitor and an incendiary; and, -having thus grossly and maliciously assailed him, he should not be -restrained by any notion of false delicacy in describing Mr. D'Israeli -in the terms his conduct merited. Here the honourable and learned -gentleman uttered a terrible philippic against Mr. D'Israeli, of which -the following passage is a specimen. In describing Mr. D'Israeli as a -descendant of a Jew (without meaning to cast any imputation either on -the name, or the nation, which he respected) Mr. O'Connell said that -he verily believed that, although the people of Israel were the chosen -of God, yet there were miscreants amongst them also, and Mr. D'Israeli -was one of those, for he possessed the quality of the impenitent thief -who died upon the cross, and he (Mr. O'Connell) was convinced that -that thief's name was D'Israeli. For aught he knew, this D'Israeli -might be his heir-at-law, and now he forgave the descendant of the -blasphemous thief who died impenitent upon the cross. - -It is not possible to suppose that Mr. D'Israeli could pass this -calmly by; and he did not, but wrote to O'Connell's son as follows:-- - - "31A, Park Street, Grosvenor Square, - "Tuesday, May 5. - - "Sir, - - "As you have established yourself as the champion of your father, - I have the honour to request your notice to a very scurrilous - attack which your father has made upon my conduct and character. - - "Had Mr. O'Connell, according to the practice observed among - gentlemen, appealed to me respecting the accuracy of the - reported expressions, before he indulged in offensive comments - upon them, he would, if he can be influenced by a sense of - justice, have felt that such comments were unnecessary. He has - not thought fit to do so, and he leaves me no alternative but to - request that you, his son, will resume your vicarious duties of - yielding satisfaction for the insults which your father has too - long lavished with impunity upon his political opponents. - - "I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant, - "D'ISRAELI. - - "Morgan O'Connell, Esq., M.P." - -To this the younger O'Connell replied-- - - "9, Clarges Street, Tuesday, May 5. - - "Sir, - - "I have this day received a letter from you, stating that a - scurrilous attack has been made upon you by my father, without - giving me any information as to the expressions complained of, or - when or where they were used, and which I now hear of for the - first time. - - "I deny your right to call upon me in the present instance, and I - am not answerable for what my father may say. I called on Lord - Alvanley for satisfaction, because I conceived he had purposely - insulted my father, by calling a meeting at Brookes's for the - purpose of expelling him from the club, he being at the time - absent in Ireland. - - "When I deny your right to call upon me in the present instance, - I also beg leave, most unequivocably, to deny your right to - address an insulting letter to me, who am almost personally - unknown to you, and unconscious of ever having given you the - slightest offence. I must, therefore, request that you will - withdraw the letter, as, without that, it will be impossible for - me to enter into an explanation. - - "I have the honour, etc., - "M. O'CONNELL. - - "B. D'Israeli, Esq." - -To this Mr. D'Israeli replied that he could not withdraw the letter, -but assured his correspondent that he did not intend that it should -convey any personal insult. On the same day he wrote old Dan a long -and scathing letter, which wound up thus-- - - "I expect to be a representative of the people before the Repeal - of the Union. We shall meet at Philippi, and rest assured that, - confident in a good cause, and in some energies which have been - not altogether improved, I will seize the first opportunity of - inflicting upon you a castigation which will make you at the same - time remember and repent the insults that you have lavished upon - - "BENJAMIN D'ISRAELI." - -There was more letter writing, but it never came to a fight. - -Willis says that he met Moore at Lady Blessington's, and, in the -course of conversation, speaking of the "Liberator," he said-- - - "O'Connell would be irresistible were it not for the blots on his - character--the contribution in Ireland for his support, and his - refusal to give satisfaction to the man he is still coward enough - to attack. They may say what they will of duelling; it is the - great preserver of the decencies of society. The old school, - which made a man responsible for his words, was the better. Then, - in O'Connell's case, he had not made his vow against duelling - when Peel challenged him. He accepted the challenge, and Peel - went to Dover, on his way to France, where they were to meet; - O'Connell pleaded his wife's illness, and delayed till the law - interfered. Some other Irish patriot, about the same time, - refused a challenge on account of the illness of his daughter, - and a Dublin wit made a good epigram on the two-- - - "'Some men, with a horror of slaughter, - Improve on the Scripture command; - And honour their wife and their daughter, - That their days may be long in the land.'" - -In November, 1835, Mr. Roebuck, M.P. (commonly known as "Tear-'em"), -and Mr. Black, the editor of the _Morning Chronicle_, fought a duel at -Christchurch, Hants. At the first round Mr. Roebuck fired in the air, -but at the second, both principals fired simultaneously, but no -mischief was done. I wind up this account of duels of the reign, in -which, however, I have not given a tithe part of those that occurred, -with the last one in my notes, taken from the _Times_, June 15, 1837. - - "DISTRESSING DUEL. - - "Yesterday morning, between three and four o'clock, a meeting - took place in a field near St. John's Wood between the Hon. Henry - D---- and Mr. Robert ----. The parties are nearly related to each - other, and the misunderstanding arose in consequence of an - elopement of a distressing nature. The parties had taken their - stations and were upon the point of firing, when a cabriolet - dashed up the adjacent lane at a tremendous speed, and a lady, in - a wild and hurried manner, rushed up the field towards the party, - but ere she could succeed in reaching them the word 'Fire!' was - given, and one of the combatants, Mr. Henry D----, fell. The - lady, who proved to be the Hon. Mrs. D----, perceiving this, - uttered the most heartrending shrieks, and, rushing to the spot, - accused herself of being the murderer of her husband. The - gentlemen present had the greatest difficulty in forcing her from - the spot. A surgeon in attendance at first pronounced the hon. - gentleman's wound to be fatal; but, subsequently, a consultation - of medical men having been held at the hon. gentleman's - residence, some slight hopes are entertained of his recovery. It - is said that the unfortunate cause of the catastrophe has been in - a state of delirium since the event, and has twice made an - attempt to lay violent hands on herself." - - - - -CHAPTER XXVIII. - - Smuggling--Its prevalence--Cases--Great smuggling of silks, - etc.--More Cases. - - -Another thing, which has almost died out, but then was in full force, -was smuggling; but then almost every import paid some duty, and that -on spirits, tea, and tobacco was excessively heavy, and, consequently, -the temptation was very great. Kent and the south-east coast -generally, were the favourite resorts for smugglers, owing to their -proximity to France, and smuggling was a regularly organized business -in which much capital was embarked. Every one on the coast knew -something about contraband trade, and, if they did not openly aid in -it, they certainly did nothing to aid in capturing smugglers. This -rendered the duties of the Excise more laborious than they otherwise -might be; and, as the smugglers were generally in force, owing to the -magnitude of their ventures, the dangers involved in their capture -increased proportionately. Being caught, meant fine or imprisonment to -the smugglers, besides loss of goods; so that if the parties ever -came in collision it was no child's play. We may judge of the -magnitude of the contraband trade by the frequency of newspaper -reports of it, and it must be remembered that the instances chronicled -would represent a very small percentage of runs which were successful -and unheard of. To show their frequency, I will quote three notices in -the _Times_ of January 10, January 22, and February 22, 1831. The -first is taken from the _Hastings Iris_, and begins-- - - "We regret to have to state that a desperate affray took place on - Wednesday morning, between three and four o'clock, on the beach - in front of Gover's Cottage, about two miles to the eastward of - Hastings, when two men were killed on the part of the smugglers, - and one of the blockade so severely beaten that his life is - despaired of, having his arm broken in two places and five or six - cuts in his head. Another man stationed near to him was very much - knocked about, but was able to give evidence at the inquest.... - William Rixon, ex-seaman, belonging to the _Hyperion_, was on - duty on the beach about three o'clock in the morning of Wednesday - last, near Gover's Cottage. A sloop showed a light about two - miles from the shore, and about ten minutes after a boat left - her, which was making for the shore. As soon as she came near he - could see three men pulling, and one man in the stern steering. - He went up under the cliff, and saw thirty or forty men with - sticks nine or ten feet long; they looked like soldiers with - muskets. So soon as he hailed them, another party, which he had - not seen before, ran to attack the two men who were on duty near - him. The first party which he had seen threatened his life, and - said if he would not fire they would not hurt him; but if he - fired they would cut his throat. He immediately fired his musket - for assistance; did not recollect which way he fired; he might - have fired in the direction in which the men stood. They sprang - on him; about a dozen handled him, struck him on the side of the - head with sticks, which forced him to the ground and stunned - him, after which he was senseless for some time; and, as he was - recovering, they struck him again. Some of his comrades came to - his assistance. After the men left him, he found he had been - dragged a considerable way up the cliff. They had torn his - clothes in trying to disarm him. He then went down to the boat - and stood by her until his officer came down and seized her. The - smugglers took his pistols and musket from him. The musket had - since been found, the pistols had not; they were all loaded with - ball cartridge. The duty imposed upon him, in case of the attempt - to land contraband goods, was to resist to the utmost of his - power. He fired as a signal for assistance. The men were on the - cliff rather above him. He fired once before he was knocked down; - but afterwards discharged four or five pieces as signals for - assistance. The men went down to the boat to take the goods out. - He could hear them run up and down the beach as the people laid - on him. There were ninety-three tubs in the boat." - -The verdict was _justifiable homicide_. - -The next is quoted from the _Kent Herald_-- - - "On Wednesday sen'night, about nine o'clock, a desperate attack - was made by a party of smugglers on the person of Lieutenant - Ross, the officer in command of the Dover Station Blockade - Service. The object of the smugglers was to prevent any - interference in the landing of a large quantity of contraband - goods, which was taking place not far off, and successfully - accomplished, with the loss of only one bale of silk left in the - boat, which was afterwards captured. Lieutenant Ross was savagely - beaten by five or six of the smugglers, under the very windows of - the magistrates, on the Marine Parade, some of whose servants, we - understand, looked on the affray without offering the least - assistance. At length, the servant of Sir Hussey Vivian coming - up, the fellows made off, and Lieutenant Ross discharged his - pistol after them, the ball from which passed through the window - of a house opposite, but fortunately without injury to any of the - inmates. It is quite time that an ample reduction of duty on - foreign articles should put an end to the 'giant evil' of - smuggling--nothing else can stop it; and, until it is done, the - demoralization and irregular habits of the lower class will - necessarily increase." - -The third case is taken from the _Western Times_, and has rather a -comic side to it-- - - "HOAX ON LORD ROLLE. - - "A few days since notices were sent to Lord Rolle that Mr. Swing - was in his neighbourhood; that on a given night there would be - farmhouses pulled down, ricks of corn burnt, and - threshing-machines destroyed; that the labourers would assemble - in organized masses; in fact, the neighbourhood of Bicton would - be subject to Swing law. Lord Rolle very wisely received this - advice with proper caution. All the Preventive Service men from - Salterton and Exmouth, and all the crew of the cutter in the - harbour were summoned to Bicton, where a large quantity of beef - and good cheer was provided. The Preventive men ate the Baron's - beef, and all seemed to enjoy the good cheer of the evening, - which was kept up with great hilarity. On that very night a large - quantity of brandy was landed on the coast. It is suspected that - one or two of the smugglers got themselves sworn in as special - constables, and enjoyed the baronial munificence, as spies, for - the purpose of keeping the Preventive men quiet, while their - companions were running, undisturbed, their cargo on the beach." - -But this was peddling work compared with that reported in the _Times_ -of August 15, 1831-- - - "GREAT SEIZURE OF SILKS. - - "Information was a short time ago received by His Majesty's Board - of Customs that it was contemplated to smuggle a very large - quantity of silks, and the necessary steps were taken to - counteract the efforts of the adventurers, who were, we - understand, men of high repute for extensive dealings in the - trade. The movements of certain parties were watched both by land - and by water, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and in - several seaport towns. At length Mr. Donne, an officer of the - Customs, who was for some time occupied in the search, received - information in the early part of last week that a lodgment of the - expected property had been effected in the city of London, at - the houses of some of the first people in the trade. It was not, - however, stated that the leading men in the establishments were - aware that the goods were contraband. - - "Mr. Donne despatched, after having ascertained beyond a doubt - that the silks had been warehoused without the payment of the - duty, three officers of the Excise to three houses, one of which - is in Newgate Street, another in a lane near Cheapside, and the - third in a court in Fleet Street. At three o'clock each of these - officers contrived to lay his hands upon silks of a very valuable - description, upon which the duty had never been paid. The value - of the seizure is estimated at not less than £10,000. It had been - thought proper by the purchasers in the first house to take in a - little brandy, without going through the usual ceremony of paying - the duty, and two kegs of very fine Cognac were found on the - premises and carried off by the officers, along with the more - valuable goods. - - "The silks were, it has been ascertained, smuggled from France; - but no clue has as yet been found as to the manner in which they - had been landed. They were packed up with great care in - twenty-four large cases, which were evidently made in this - country, and are such as Manchester goods are usually packed in. - Upon being taken to the King's warehouses they were unpacked and - examined. The gauzes are of a most beautiful kind. The officers - will have the whole of the profits arising from this enormous - seizure, the King having some time ago, as appears from the Order - of the Lords of the Treasury issued at the commencement of his - reign, given up all claim to any advantages arising from seizures - of this description." - -We are afterwards told in the _Times_ of December 16, 1831, that the -culprits were Messrs. Leaf, Cole and Co., in Old Change, and - - "According to the information laid before the Commissioners of - the Customs, the mode of proceeding seems to have been this:--the - steam vessel from Calais which brought the goods, arriving - generally after night had set in, and the navigation of the Pool - hazardous, was moored at some spot lower down than its place of - destination, thus deferring the making the entries at the Custom - House until the following morning. A waterman, who was regularly - employed with a barge on the river, was engaged by the parties to - lie off the steam vessel, which he was only to approach on a - signal previously concerted. He then received on board his barge - various packages, which he secured by locking up in the cabin. - Consultations were held at the time when the first of these - transactions took place, upon the mode of taking these packages - ashore least likely to excite suspicion. After various plans were - proposed, the expedient was resorted to of using wine hampers, - which were landed at one of the stairs in Thames Street, and - carried by porters to the warehouses for which they were - intended. Another waterman, in addition to the first, was - associated in these transactions, and both of them, if the case - had proceeded, were to have been witnesses on the part of the - Crown. It is not a little remarkable that these men were led to - tell all they knew in the business through some advantage taken - of them, as they conceived, in paying them for a smaller number - of parcels than they had delivered. - - "After two or three of these transactions had been completed, it - began to be considered no longer safe to land the parcels within - the precincts of the City; but a place higher up the river, near - Battersea, was resorted to; and, as in this case the distance was - much more considerable, the goods were carried home in carts. At - length, when the number of transactions had amounted to ten or - twelve, the bargemen seemed to have thought the affair ripe for - exposure, and determined on making it. They gave information of - the most precise kind respecting a landing intended to take - place, in the beginning of August last, at the Battersea station. - Persons were employed in different places for the purpose, and a - cart was watched from and to a warehouse in the City belonging to - Leaf and Co., at the door of which the goods were seized by a - proper officer, and notice of it was given to Mr. Leaf, who - happened to be at home at the time. They were afterwards taken to - the Custom House. The total valuation of the goods taken on this - occasion was something under £700. - - "A few days afterwards information was given to the same officer - that great bustle existed in the warehouse above-mentioned, and - that persons were engaged there in packing up and removing a - quantity of goods in a great hurry. These goods were traced to - three different places, and seized as foreign, and not having - paid the duty. On examining the packages, they were found to be - filled up in a most slovenly manner, through haste, and so as to - damage some of the goods--gauze ribands, for example. The whole - were returned into the Exchequer, appraised at £5460, exclusive - of the duty, and were claimed by the parties whose property they - were, on the ground, either that they were British, or that they - had actually paid the duty as foreign. They also brought actions - for damages against all the officers concerned in the seizure of - the goods." - -There seems to be some grounds in believing this to be the fact, for -Messrs. Leaf and Co. complained loudly that they were not allowed to -prove that they had actually paid duty on the three sets of packages -which had been removed to the shops of their friends after the seizure -of August 5th; but seeing the danger of contending farther with a -public board, they compounded for the whole transaction for a fine of -£20,000. - -Here is another case from the _Times_ of January 19, 1832, coming -originally from the _Kentish Herald_-- - - "MARGATE SMUGGLING. - - "An extraordinary discovery has been made here, in the last week, - by the officers of the Custom House, which shows the persevering - and enterprising spirit of the smugglers. The officers went to - search a house in the occupation of a man named Cook, at the back - of Lion Place, near the Fort in Margate, and discovered in a room - below a secret entrance, just large enough to admit a man - crawling upon his knees. The officers proceeded downwards upon an - inclined plane towards the seashore, to the distance of about two - hundred yards, passing under several houses at the depth of many - feet below the surface of the ground, until they reached the - lower entrance, which opens on the north-west side of the Clifton - Baths. The mouth of this entrance was boarded over and covered - with chalk and earth, rammed down in such a manner as to conceal - it completely. There were found, in the interior of the cliff, - several trucks on wheels and implements for the conveyance of - smuggled goods through the tunnel to Cook's house. The work, - which it is calculated must have engaged two men at least - eighteen months in cutting it, and must have cost, in labour, - from £100 to £200, was just finished, and is reported to have - been paid for by a great silk mercer and riband merchant in - London. - - "It is fortunate for the Revenue, as well as for the silk trade, - that such a discovery has been made, as the whole plan of - operation was so well projected that, whilst the hide remained - only known to the smugglers, they might at any time, on dark - nights, in the short space of an hour, have smuggled many - thousand pounds' worth of property and carried it off in safety. - It is whispered among the sailors on the pier that, if the - officers had not been a little too eager in the pursuit, they - might, within a week, when the dark nights came on again, have - made an immense seizure; but that now they have entirely defeated - their own object, because not a vestige of any contraband article - was yet to be found upon the premises. This is the second - subterraneous tunnel which has been dug under the same property - within two years, and the second time of the officers being - defeated by their eagerness to grasp so large a prize. It is but - justice to the lessee of this singularly constructed property to - say that not the least suspicion is entertained by the Revenue - Officers of any connivance on his part, he having given them - duplicate keys of the subterraneous excavations and baths, during - the winter months when the property lies unoccupied, and - cautioned them that, unless some of the Revenue Officers were - stationed on the premises throughout the night, it was impossible - to prevent smuggling." - -At Hastings, on February 21, 1832, a party of smugglers attempted to -run a cargo near St. Leonards. The Excise heard of it, and a desperate -affray was the consequence; the Revenue men secured the boat and one -hundred and sixty tubs of spirits, but at the expense of their lives; -one was killed and two mortally wounded. - -A good idea of the extensive smuggling which was carried on at this -time may be gained from the following paragraphs, which appear in one -column of the _Times_ of February 13, 1832. - - "SMUGGLING. - - "The examination of the eight smugglers that were captured by the - _Vigilant_ Revenue cutter on the 1st and 4th inst., took place - before the magistrates at Chatham, on Wednesday last; and, being - found guilty of a breach of the revenue laws, were convicted, - and, being disposed of, the cutter sailed for her station on - Thursday. On the following day she made another seizure of 142 - half ankers of foreign spirits, which were delivered to the - Customs at Rochester, on Saturday. This seizure is the fourth - that has been brought by the _Vigilant_ into this port within - twelve days, each seizure being the work of a separate cruise; - that is, the cutter sailed to sea, made the capture, and returned - to the port--the time including the cutter's detention for the - trial of the smugglers. - - "Smuggling has recently become much more prevalent on the coasts - of Hampshire and Sussex than it has been for some months. This is - to be ascribed, we are told, to the almost total absence of - cruisers in the Channel. If so, where are our Revenue cruisers, - or, what are they doing? If the country can afford to employ but - few vessels, these few should be well-disposed and kept actively - at work. - - "The _Mary_ smack, of twenty tons, with two men belonging to this - port, was seized in this harbour on Friday, by Mr. Morgan of the - coastguard, having a false bottom containing sixty-three half - ankers, fifty quarter ankers, and fourteen jars of spirits, with - four canisters of tea, regularly built outside her original - bottom, and executed in such a complete manner that it would have - been impossible to have discovered it but by information, which - we understood was received from the Board." - -From the _Brighton Herald_, June 16, 1832-- - - "A large and most valuable seizure was made at the port of - Shoreham, by the officers of the coastguard, on the morning of - the 13th inst. This great prize to the captors consisted of a - ketch-rigged vessel of about sixty tons burden, called the _New - Speedwell_, of Portsmouth, the boat belonging to her, a large - barge or lighter, which was brought alongside the vessel, and - into which a portion of the goods were unshipped, three men, - being the master and crew; together with 238 bales of tobacco - stalks for the purpose of being manufactured into snuff, weighing - about 1300 lbs.; 27 bales of leaf tobacco weighing about 1100 - lbs.; 35 bales of tobacco stalk flour weighing about 1000 lbs., - and 1 box containing 23 lbs. of cigars, the value of which, it is - said, is estimated at upwards of £3000." - -The _Chelmsford Chronicle_, quoted in the _Times_ of May 4, 1833, is -responsible for the following:-- - - "CAPTURE OF A SMUGGLER. - - "A seizure, more valuable than has been made in this and the - adjacent counties for many years, was effected in the Crouch - river in the course of last week. Captain Dodd, master of the - coal brig _Nancy_, of Newcastle, sold his pretended cargo of coal - to a merchant with whom he had frequently traded, and was - proceeding up the river to his destination, when the brig was - boarded by Mr. Read, chief boatman of the Crouch guard station, - who, observing something unusual in the conduct of the master, - and that he left the vessel in an abrupt manner, his suspicions - were excited, and he immediately set about an inspection, which - led to a most important discovery. The coals at the top were - found to be but a thin covering to a cargo of contraband goods, - which, with the brig and crew, were immediately taken possession - of and brought round to Collier's reach, where the cargo is now - unloading; but, the coals being so mixed with the smuggled goods, - present considerable difficulties, as it is calculated that there - are five hundred packages of spirits and dried goods. Those - already landed and safely deposited at the Custom House at - Maldon, some of which were found secreted even in the fore and - maintops, and consisting of spirits and tobacco, are estimated to - be worth £1500; and it is expected that the whole cargo, with the - brig itself, will bring from £3000 to £5000." - - - - -CHAPTER XXIX. - - Legitimate trade--The "truck" system--Its downfall--State of - trade--Newspaper stamps--Steel pens--Literature--List of - authors--Painters--Sculptors. - - -But enough of illicit trade. What was legitimate trade doing? The -marvellous expansion which afterwards came, thanks to steam as applied -to machinery, railways, and shipping, had only just commenced; but, at -all events, a beginning had been made, and, thanks to her iron and -coal, England was able for many a long year to head the race for -commerce, hold her own with foreign competition, and even to defy it. -The Trades' Unions, which have not altogether been an unmixed -blessing, were still in their infancy, and in many trades the "truck" -system of paying the workers in kind rather than coin was the rule. It -was the payment of labour in goods or provisions instead of money; and -the mode in which it was carried on by the manufacturers was to set up -a large shop or store (commonly called a "Tommy shop"), containing all -sorts of necessaries for their workmen, so that, instead of paying -them money for their wages, tickets were given to these shops; or, in -other instances, periodical visits to them were allowed to the -mechanic or his wife, and they chose those things they were most in -need of. Under these circumstances money was very seldom, or, rather, -never paid; for, though parties to evade the law gave the money to -their workmen, yet, before they left the premises, it was all received -back again. - -These "Tommy shops" were generally kept by some relation or servant of -the master, put in for that purpose; or, when the tradesman did not -resort to such measures on his own account, he made an arrangement -with the retailer, who allowed him a discount. And the more needy the -manufacturer, the greater his advantage under this system; for he was -enabled to stock his shop for three months, and then pay for that -stock with a bill at another three months; so that, instead of paying -his workmen ready money, he was obtaining six months' credit. Again, -without saying that there was a regular contract amongst the masters, -it was always an understood thing that a man discharged for objecting -to this system should not be taken on by any other employer. And, -indeed, this naturally followed; for, when once it was known that a -man had lost his employment by objecting to this mode of payment, it -was not likely that another master, who paid in exactly the same way, -would give him employment. - -And the poor fellows had to pay through the nose for all they had. The -milder "truck-masters" were content to charge their men from 15 to 20 -per cent. more than the market price, while those unburdened with a -conscience, exacted 100 per cent. profit; nor would they allow their -men to keep pigs. This state of things was well known, and leave was -applied for and given in December, 1830, to bring a Bill into -Parliament to do away with the truck system, and make it penal. On -October 15, 1831, this received the Royal sanction, and the Act was -afterwards known as 1 and 2 Gul. IV. c. 36, "An Act to repeal several -Acts and parts of Acts prohibiting the Payment of Wages in Goods, or -otherwise than in the current Coin of the Realm." And another (same, -c. 37), in which it was settled that all wages must be paid to the -workman in coin, and payment in goods was declared illegal; that -artificers might recover, by law, wages, if not paid in current coin, -and that no employer should have any action against his artificer for -goods supplied to him on account of wages; whilst, if the artificer, -or his wife or children, became chargeable to the parish, the -overseers may recover any wages earned within the three preceding -months, and not paid in cash. That contracts between master and man as -to the payment of the whole or part of wages in goods should be -illegal, and for the first offence the employer should be fined not -less than £5, nor more than £10; for the second, not less than £10, -nor more than £20; and for the third he was to be fined, at the -discretion of the Court, a sum not exceeding £100. - -On May 26, 1826, the Royal sanction was given to an Act which -virtually destroyed the monopoly of the Bank of England, and laid the -foundation of the present Joint Stock Banks, or rather what they were -before they took advantage of limited liability. It is 7 Geo. IV. c. -46, and is entitled, "An Act for the better regulating co-partnerships -of certain bankers in England." But it does not seem to have been -acted on in London, at all events till 1833, when we have -advertisements soliciting subscriptions to the London and Westminster -Bank, the Imperial Bank of London, and the National Provincial Bank of -England. The London and Westminster Bank was established March, 1834; -the National Provincial Bank of England in 1833; the National Bank in -1835; the London Joint Stock Bank in 1836; as also the Commercial Bank -of London and the London and County Bank; whilst in 1837 was started -the Union Bank of Australia. - -When William IV. died, the trade of the country was in a very -depressed state, as we learn by the _Annual Register_, June 13, 1837, -which quotes from the following papers:-- - - "We are sorry to say that trade in this district continues in a - very depressed state; and the consequence is, a scarcity of - employment and low wages for the operatives, amongst whom, we - regret to observe, distress prevails to a most deplorable - extent."--_Manchester Courier._ - - "At Manchester it is stated there are fifty thousand hands out of - employ, and most of the large establishments are working only - half-time. At Wigan, which is not a large place, there are four - thousand weavers totally unable to get work. Unless a stimulus is - shortly given to commerce, persons who have the means of forming - the most correct opinion say that half a million of hands at - least will be idle in the manufacturing districts in the very - worst time of the year."--_Morning Chronicle._ - - "The pressure upon manufacturers and commerce has at last reached - our county. Within a short time several extensive failures in the - 'How of Fife,' along the Leven, as well as in the towns upon the - coast, have taken place."--_Fifeshire Journal._ - - "A meeting convened by the circular of several gentlemen was held - on Friday, at the Public Office, for the purpose of considering - what measures could be adopted sufficient to relieve the present - appalling state of commercial distress. At this meeting it was - universally admitted that the number of unemployed workmen, and - the consequent distress which prevails, call for the adoption of - prompt and efficient measures; and resolutions were passed - expressive of the deep sympathy felt by the meeting for their - suffering fellow-townsmen and their families."--_Birmingham - Journal._ - - "We regret that we cannot announce any improvement in the trade - of this town. There has been one failure of a respectable lace - concern since our last. The number of operatives employed by - public subscription on the roads is nearly a thousand. The Relief - Committee, after anxious deliberation, came to the decision on - Monday evening that, in future, the wages allowed could be only - 8s. a week on day work."--_Nottingham Review._ - -When William IV. came to the throne the stamp duty on newspapers was -4_d._, less 20 per cent. discount, and the price of the _Times_ was -7_d._ Each advertisement had to pay a duty of 3_s._ 6_d._ The -consequence of the newspaper stamp being so high was that leaflets -were perpetually being started which bore no stamp, as it was -contended that they contained no news. Still the vendors were always -being haled before the magistrates; but the publication of these -vexatious leaflets was settled in May, 1831, in the case of _Rex_ v. -_William Carpenter_, which came off in the Court of Exchequer, before -the Lord Chief Baron. The Crown obtained the verdict, and Mr. -Carpenter was let off very cheaply, by being fined only £120. The duty -on newspapers brought in a large revenue. In 1830, 30,158,741 stamps -were issued, and in 1835, 32,874,652; but in 1836 the duty was reduced -to 1_d._ per newspaper, and 1/2_d._ for each supplement; and the -_Times_ on September 15, 1836, reduced its price to 4_d._ Of the -number of newspapers I have already written. - -Many lived by the pen, whether quill or steel. In 1830, although not a -novelty, steel pens were dear, as we see by an advertisement in the -_Times_ of October 18th-- - - "PEN-MENDING TOTALLY SUPERSEDED.--Patent Perryian Pens, warranted - not to require mending, and to write better than any other pen - whatever, as cheap as the common pen. Price per packet - (containing nine pens of the best quality), 3_s._ 6_d._" - -In 1837 they had got somewhat cheaper, _vide_ _Times_, March 23rd-- - - "PERRYIAN PENS, protected by five patents.--Double patent pen, - with holder, 2_s._ per card; Indiarubber spring pen, 2_s._ 6_d._ - ditto; office pen, 1_s._ ditto. Any of the above, with patent - elastic holder, at 3_d._ extra per card. Under-spring pen, with - holder, 2_s._ per card; side-spring pen, 2_s._ ditto; flat-spring - pen, 2_s._ ditto; three-pointed pen, 2_s._ 3_d._ ditto. Each card - contains nine pens." - -This reign saw the commencement of cheap, good literature, which was -to overrun the country and utterly abolish the chap book, which till -then had been the literary mainstay of the country folk. The year in -which this transformation began was 1832, for then were published for -the first time _The Penny Magazine_, and _Chambers' Edinburgh -Journal_; whilst, during the reign, were published all kinds of books, -from the watered-silk-bound annuals, such as the _Gem_, the -_Offering_, the _Bijou_, the _Remembrancer_, the _Coronal_, the -_Iris_, or the _Bouquet_, to abstruse scientific books--for it was, to -a certain extent, a book-reading age, and people bought and kept their -favourite authors. - -Of authors, what a lot there was! The following does not pretend to be -exhaustive, but it will serve to give an idea of those who lived or -wrote during the time when William IV. was King. Let us take them -alphabetically. John Adolphus, who wrote the _History of the Reign of -George III._, etc. W. H. Ainsworth, the novelist, who brought out -_Rookwood_ in 1834. Sir Archibald Alison, to whom we are indebted for -his _History of England_. T. K. Arnold, headmaster of Rugby. John -Banim, whom we remember by the _Tales by the O'Hara Family_. Rev. R. -H. Barham, whose _Ingoldsby Legends_ came out with the starting of -_Bentley's Miscellany_ in 1837. The lyric poet, Thomas H. Bayly, whose -_I'd be a Butterfly_, _She wore a wreath of Roses_, and _Oh no, we -never mention her_, are classics in ballad song. Laman Blanchard, who -was a contributor to the lighter periodicals of his day. George -Borrow, who during the reign was an agent of the British and Foreign -Bible Society--to which we owe his _Bible in Spain_. The Rev. Jos. -Bosworth, to whom we are indebted for his _Anglo-Saxon Grammar_ and -_Dictionary_, etc. The Very Rev. W. Buckland, Dean of Westminster, -famous for his writings on Geology and Palæontology. Bulwer-Lytton, -who published _Paul Clifford_ in 1830, _Eugene Aram_ and _Godolphin_ -in 1833, _The Pilgrims of the Rhine_ and _The Last Days of Pompeii_ in -1834, and _Rienzi_ in 1835. Thos. Campbell, poet, author of _Pleasures -of Hope_, _Gertrude of Wyoming_, _Lord Ullin's Daughter_, etc. Thos. -Carlyle, who came to London in 1834, and then wrote and re-wrote his -_French Revolution_, which was published in 1837. Captain F. Chamier, -R.N., whose sea tales are only surpassed by Marryat. T. C. Croker, to -whom we are indebted for _The Fairy Tales and Legends of the South of -Ireland_. Dr. Croly, who will be chiefly remembered by his -_Salathiel_. Allan Cunningham, whose _Songs of Scotland_ will always -live. His son Peter, who wrote _Songs of England and Scotland_, and, -among many other books, a _Handbook of London_, which is most -valuable. De Quincey, whose _Confessions of an Opium Eater_ is an -English classic. Thos. Dibdin--son of Charles, of sea-song fame--who -was a most voluminous playwright. Charles Dickens, who published _The -Pickwick Papers_ in 1836. Isaac D'Israeli, who had almost written his -last book. His son Benjamin, who was then beginning to make a -political name. Dr. Doran, who in this reign published his _History -and Antiquities of the Town and Borough of Reading_. Pierce Egan, of -_Boxiana_ and _Life in London_ notoriety. Grote, the historian, was -alive, but devoted himself more to his parliamentary duties than to -writing history. Then, too, flourished S. C. Hall and his wife, the -latter of whom will doubtless live longest in remembrance. William -Hone, whatever may be thought of his politics, etc., has given us a -mine of folk and archæological lore. If genial Thomas Hood had never -written anything but the _Bridge of Sighs_ and the _Song of the -Shirt_, he would have made his name; but, happily, he will be the -source of wholesome laughter to future generations. Theodore Hook, -too, novelist and dramatist, will live in his _Jack Brag_. William and -Mary Howitt are names not likely to be lost. Douglas Jerrold, -dramatist, novelist, and humourist, seems almost of to-day. The Rev. -John Keble will live for ever in his _Christian Year_. Charles Knight, -with his _Penny Magazine_ and _Penny Cyclopædia_, did much to -popularize cheap and wholesome literature. James Sheridan Knowles, -dramatist, produced his play of _The Hunchback_ in 1832, and _The Love -Chase_ in 1837, both classics in the drama. Walter Savage Landor wrote -several books during this reign. Of Mark Lemon, who was "indispensable -to _Punch_" nothing need be said--every one remembers his name. The -same may be said of Charles James Lever, the novelist, whose _Harry -Lorrequer_, _Jack Hinton_, etc., are so well known. Students will -reverence the name of John Lingard, the Roman Catholic historian; and -botanists are familiar with the writings of John Claudius Loudon and -his wife. The _Handy Andy_ of Samuel Lover, novelist, poet, musician, -and artist, though probably written in this reign, was not published -until 1838. Thomas Babington Macaulay, so well known as an historian, -was in India from 1834 to 1838. To mention the name of Captain F. -Marryat is to kindle a thrill in every English boy's breast. Samuel -Maunder, whose _Treasuries_ were text books in their day, and still -are very useful. John Stuart Mill, of _Political Economy_ memory, was -during this reign writing for magazines, when he was not editing the -_Westminster Review_. Thomas Moore, poet and musician, brought out in -1834 a complete edition of his _Irish Melodies_, which were commenced -in 1807. Sir Francis Palgrave produced in 1831 his _History of -England, Anglo-Saxon Period_, and was knighted the following year. J. -R. Planché published in 1834 _The History of British Costume_ for The -Library of _Entertaining Knowledge_. A. W. N. Pugin, the revivalist of -mediæval architecture, wrote thereon, in 1836, _Contrasts; a parallel -between the noble edifices of the 14th and 15th Centuries and the -Present Day_. _Table Talk_ Rogers was getting an old man; and Robert -Southey was Poet Laureate with, in 1834, a pension of £300 per annum. -The "bitter Bengalee," W. M. Thackeray, came of age in 1832, and his -first regular literary employment was for _Fraser's Magazine_, -wherein _The History of Samuel Titmarsh, and The Great Hoggarty -Diamond_ appeared during 1837-38. Nor, in this list, must be forgotten -painstaking John Timbs, whose works are indispensable for reference. -John Wilson, perhaps better known as Christopher North, contributed -his celebrated _Noctes Ambrosinæ_ to _Blackwood's Magazine_ up to -1835; in which year Wordsworth published his _Yarrow revisited_. - -Nor must we omit mention of the fair sex in their literary work. Mrs. -Sarah Austin, who produced two of her famous translations in this -reign--viz. _A Tour in England, Ireland, and France by a German -Prince_ (1832), and _Raumer's England in 1835_, in 1836; in which year -Joanna Baillie published three volumes of dramas. In 1836, also, Mrs. -Bray brought out her _Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy_. The Brontës -were too young to write, but were young women. E. M. Barrett Browning -produced her first acknowledged work, a translation of _Prometheus -Bound_, and some of her early poems in 1835. Maria Edgeworth was -getting too old to write; and Mrs. Gaskell had not commenced. Mrs. -Jameson published her first book in 1831--_Memoirs of Female -Sovereigns_, and, in 1837, _Sketches of Germany_. Letitia Elizabeth -Landon (L. E. L.) wrote her best prose work, _Ethel Churchill_, in -1836. Miss Mitford published a fifth series of _Our Village_ in 1832. -Hannah More died in 1833. Lady Morgan, _The Wild Irish Girl_, was -writing, and making money by it. The Hon. Mrs. Norton, who let all -the world know her grievances, brought out her poem of the _Undying -One_ in 1831, and her novel of _Stuart of Dunleath_ in 1835. Miss Jane -Porter produced, in 1831, what was probably her best work, _Sir Edward -Seaward's Diary_, which was frequently mistaken, at the time, for -genuine history. And last, though not least, Miss Agnes Strickland -published the _Pilgrims of Walsingham_ in 1835. - -I had almost forgotten; which would have been inexcusable, that Sir -Walter Scott died in September, 1832. - -The New British School of Art was just commencing. The National -Collection of pictures was commenced in 1824, and in 1832 Parliament -voted £15,000 to build a gallery for their reception. The Royal -Academy of Arts, instituted in 1768, held their annual exhibition of -pictures, up to 1836, at Somerset House, but in 1837 they removed to -the new National Gallery. There were, besides, exhibitions of -paintings held by the Society of British Artists, the Society of -Painters in Water Colours, and the New Society of ditto. In May, 1834, -there was an Exhibition of the works of the Old Masters; and in 1832 -Haydon held an exhibition of his own pictures. - -The following is an attempt at a list of the principal British artists -of the reign. - -Sir Wm. Allan, P.R.S.A. and R.A.; Sir Wm. Beechey, R.A.; Wm. Boxall; -Sir A. W. Callcott, R.A.; G. Cattermole; A. E. Chalon, R.A., and J. -J. Chalon, A.; Geo. Chambers; J. Constable, R.A.; E. W. Cooks, R.A.; -A. Cooper, R.A.; T. S. Cooper; D. Cox; T. Creswick; F. Danby; P. De -Wint; W. Dyce; Sir C. Eastlake, R.A.; A. L. Egg, R.A.; A. Elmore; Wm. -Etty, R.A.; A. V. C. Fielding; Sir F. Grant, R.A.; L. Haaghe; J. D. -Harding; Sol. A. Hart, R.A.; B. R. Haydon; Sir Geo. Hayter; J. R. -Herbert; J. F. Herring; Wm. Hilton, R.A.; Wm. Hunt; G. Lance; Chas. -and Edwin Landseer; C. R. Leslie, R.A.; J. F. Lewis, R.A.; J. Linnell; -D. Maclise, R.A.; J. Martin; W. Mulready, R.A.; Jos. Nash; Alex. -Nasmyth; T. Phillips, R.A.; H. W. Pickersgill, R.A.; P. F. Poole; W. -H. and J. B. Pyne; R. R. Reinagle, R.A.; Sir M. A. Shee, P.R.A.; W. C. -Stanfield; T. Stodhard, R.A.; F. Stone; G. Stubbs; J. M. W. Turner, -R.A.; J. Varley; J. Ward, R.A.; Rd. Westall, R.A.; Wm. Westall, A.; -and Sir D. Wilkie, R.A. - -Among illustrators of books were H. K. Browne (_Phiz_), George -Cruikshank, John Doyle (H.B.), John Leech, Kenny Meadows, and John -Tenniel. - -Engravers numbered amongst them E. F. and W. Finden, R. Graves, -A.R.A., William Holl, and Thomas Landseer. - -There was a glorious list of sculptors: W. Behnes, Sir F. Chantrey, -R.A., J. H. Foley, R.A., John Gibson, R.A., John Hogan, T. -Thornicroft, Henry Weekes, R.A., Sir R. Westmacott, and his son -Richard, and M. C. Wyatt, while akin to sculpture comes William Wyon, -R.A., medallist. - - - - -CHAPTER XXX. - - Musicians--Paganini--His avarice--Ole Bull--Curious musical - instruments--Jim Crow--The opera and its singers--The - ballet--Actors, etc.--Madame Vestris's leg. - - -In music we had, as composers, Balfe, who is more honoured abroad than -at home, John Barnett, Julius Benedict, W. Sterndale Bennett, Sir -Henry Bishop, Michael Costa, J. B. Cramer, Moscheles, Sir George -Smart, and Vincent Wallace. As English singers, Braham and Phillips, -Madame Carodori Allan, Madame Anna Bishop, Miss Stephens, Clara -Novello, Adelaide Kemble, and Miss Paton. - -In 1831 Paganini came to England, and gave his first concert on June -3rd at the King's Theatre. He began badly--he raised the prices, and -the people would not stand it, and he only gave way at the last -moment, as we see by the following letter in the _Times_ of June 2nd, -addressed to the editor. - - "SIR, - - "The evening of my first concert in the King's Theatre is now so - near, that I feel the duty of announcing it myself, to implore - the favour of the English nation, which honours the arts as much - as I respect it. - - "Accustomed, in all the nations of the Continent, to double the - ordinary prices of the theatres where I have given my concerts, - and little instructed in the customs of this capital, in which I - present myself for the first time, I did believe that I could do - the same; but, informed by many of the journals that the prices - already established there are higher than those on the Continent, - and having myself seen that the observation was just, I second, - willingly, the desire of a public, the esteem and good will of - which I ambition as my first recompense. - - "PAGANINI." - -As it was, the prices were high enough. The boxes the same as on opera -night, orchestra and stalls, £1 1_s._; pit, 10_s._ 6_d._; gallery, -5_s._ - -His avarice was notorious, as noted in the following verses, which -appeared in _The Original_ of July 28, 1832. - - "A NOTE OF ENQUIRY, ADDRESSED TO PAGANINI. - - "Grant me reply, great Fiddler, to a word - Of question by my sympathy preferr'd; - Ah! do not fail:-- - This wound that dooms thy fiddle to be dumb, - _Which_ part of thy extraordinary thumb - Doth it assail? - Doth it at side, or joint, its mischief make? - Or is it, like the money thou dost take, - _Down on the nail_?" - -In a notice of his first concert, the _Times_ says-- - - "The personal appearance of Paganini is remarkable. He is a tall, - thin man, with features rather emaciated, pale complexion, a - sharp, aquiline nose, and a keen eye, the expression of which is - greatly heightened when he is animated by his performance. His - hair, which is dark, is worn long behind, and combed off the - forehead and temples, in a manner which gives an air of great - simplicity to his countenance. He seems to be about fifty years - of age. - - "The enthusiasm which his performance excited last night among - the audience certainly surpassed anything of the kind within - these walls. Every _tour de force_ and striking passage was not - only applauded, but cheered by the whole audience, and some of - the variations were encored. At the end of every performance, and - especially after the last, the applause, cheering, and waving of - handkerchiefs and hats, altogether presented a most extraordinary - scene. Foreigners, who have been present at his concerts in - several other parts of Europe, remarked that the applause - bestowed, and the enthusiasm excited last night, were greater - than they had ever witnessed before." - -[Illustration: Paganini.] - -The King gave him a diamond ring, and money rolled in to him. His -prices were high, and he always insisted upon being paid before he -would perform. Here is an example (_Times_, December 8, 1831)-- - - "BRIGHTON. December 6th.--Some sensation has been excited at - Brighton by a circumstance relative to Paganini. Mr. Gutteridge, - it appears, had engaged the Signor to play at the theatre for one - night, at the moderate sum of 200 guineas. As the theatre, - however, when crammed almost to suffocation, would only produce - about £200, and, after paying Paganini and other expenses, he - would have had to disburse nearly £300, Mr. Gutteridge was, of - course, compelled to raise the prices. It was, therefore, - announced that the prices of the boxes and pit would be doubled, - and the admission to the gallery increased to 4s. The - announcement of the intended increase of prices caused - considerable dissatisfaction in Brighton, and placards were, - yesterday, posted on the Steine, calling upon the public to - resist the extortion, and threatening, if the prices were raised, - to make of Brighton another Bristol. Mr. Gutteridge, having - obtained one of the placards, went to the magistrates to ask for - protection against the threatened outrage, and a promise was, of - course, made to him of the assistance of the police." - -In November, 1833, a Mr. Freeman sued Paganini for thirty guineas, -alleged to be due to him for his services as interpreter and agent, -and in the course of the trial it came out that Paganini had amassed -£30,000 in England alone. - -His rival, the celebrated Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, came over -here in 1836, and gave his first concert at the King's Theatre on May -21st of that year, and the criticism upon his performance was that -"the applause he received was unbounded, as little forced, and as -sincere as any we have ever heard." He stayed in England a year. - -It is said that "there is but one step from the sublime to the -ridiculous," and, musically, that seems to be from Paganini and Ole -Bull to Eulenstein, the performer on the Jew's harp, who was here in -the autumn of 1833. In a biographical account of him we find that he -was of humble origin, and born in Wurtemberg. - - "He went to Stutgard, and received a command to appear before the - queen. Pursuing his travels, he visited Paris, with five pounds - in his pocket, and five hundred in his imagination. Here he found - no means of making himself known, and sunk gradually into penury; - when Mr. Stockhausen took him by the hand, and procured him - introductions to the highest circles. From France he came to - England, but, upon his arrival, unfortunately, he received a - 'patronizing invitation' to play at a rout at the Marchioness of - Salisbury's. A French horn would have been more appropriate there - than the delicate Jew's harp. The gay party saw, indeed, a man in - a corner doing something, and making wry faces over it, they - heard no sound, and wondered what it was. Eulenstein, shocked and - mortified, determined to leave England, and was about to set off - for the Continent, when the Duke of Gordon kindly patronized him, - procured a command from the late King to play in his presence, - and, in short, may be considered to be the architect of his - promising fortune." - -The accordion was a new and fashionable instrument, and there was in -1836 a musical instrument called an "Æolophone," which I fancy must -have been a kind of Æolian harp; and in 1837 there was an awful thing -called the "Eidophusion," whilst, all during the reign, a composite -instrument, called the "Apollonicon," was performed on daily at 101, -St. Martin's Lane. - -Whilst on the subject of music in England, I must not omit to mention -the commencement of a peculiar school, which since has attained large -dimensions--I mean the "nigger" songs, of which the first was sung in -1836 by an actor named T. D. Rice, who introduced it at the Adelphi, -in a play called "A Flight to America." Although very silly stuff, it -became the rage, and I reproduce it because it was the first of its -kind. It will be noted that the nigger costume was not of that -exaggerated and complex character into which it has now developed. - -[Illustration: Jim Crow.] - - "I cam from ole Kentucky, - A long time ago, - Where first I larn to wheel about, - And jump Jim Crow. - _Chorus._ Wheel about, and turn about, - And do jis so, - Eb'ry time I wheel about, - I jump Jim Crow. - - "I us'd to take him fiddle, - Eb'ry morn and afternoon, - And charm the ole Buzzard, - And dance to the Racoon. - Wheel about, etc. - - "I landed fust at Liverpool, - Dat place of ships and docks, - I strutted down Lord Street, - And ask'd de price of stocks. - Wheel about, etc. - - "I paid my fare den up to Town, - On de coach to cut a dash, - De axletree soon gave way, - And spilt us wid a smash. - Wheel about, etc. - - "I lighted den upon my head, - All in de nassy dirt, - Dey all thought dat I war dead, - But I laughed and wasn't hurt. - Wheel about, etc. - - "Dis head, you know, am pretty tick, - Cause dere it make a hole, - On de dam macadamis road, - Much bigger dan a bowl. - Wheel about, etc. - - "When I got into Lunnon, - Dey took me for a savage, - But I was pretty well behaved, - So I 'gaged with Massa Davidge. - Wheel about, etc. - - "Dem young Jim Crows about de streets, - More like a Raven rader, - Pray good people don't mistake, - Indeed, I'm not dere fader. - Wheel about, etc. - - "Dem urchins what sing my song, - Had better mind dar books, - For anyhow dey can't be Crows, - You see d'ar only Rooks. - Wheel about, etc." - -For some reason or other this buffoonery became a perfect rage; there -were Jim Crow hats, Jim Crow coats, neckerchiefs, etc.; nay, it even -was made use of in political satire. - -There were frequently two opera companies singing at the same time; -one German, of not much account, the other Italian, which included -names which are historical in the musical world. Among the men were -Garcia, Lablache, Rubini, and Tamburini, and among the ladies were -Albertazzi, Garcia, Grisi, Malibran (who died in 1836), and Pasta. And -they were well paid, as we see from an extract from the _Town_, quoted -in the _Times_ of May 20, 1833-- - - "OPERA CHARGES. - - "The following sums are paid nightly to the performers at the - King's Theatre: Pasta, £200, Taglioni, £120, Rubini, £100, - Tamburini, £100, Donzelli, £50, Zuchelli, £50. Madame Pasta will - receive £3500 for the season; and the amount payable to the - principal characters alone, on the rising of the curtain, is - above £1000." - -The _premières danseuses_ were Taglioni, the two Elslers, Carlotta -Grisi, and Duvernay, who married a country banker, Mr. Lyne Stephens, -and who died enormously rich, either late in 1894 or early in 1895, -when her collection pictures, etc., were sold at Christie's, and -fetched fabulous prices. A great male dancer was Perrot. - -It is an easy transition from opera to the drama, and among actors we -find the names of Paul Bedford, J. B. Buckstone, T. P. Cooke, A. -Ducrow, W. Farren, J. P. Harley, Chas. J. Kean, R. Keeley, C. Kemble, -J. Liston, W. C. Macready, John Parry, J. Phelps, J. Reeve, J. -Vandenhoff, B. Webster, F. H. Yates, and C. M. Young. Among actresses -I may mention Madame Celeste, Mrs. Glover, Mrs. Honey, Fanny Kemble, -Mrs. Nisbet, Miss Ellen Tree (afterwards Mrs. Chas. Kean), Miss -Vandenhoff, and Madame Vestris. - -During this reign died several veterans of the stage. In 1831 died -Mrs. Siddons and Elliston; in 1832, Munden; in 1833, Edmund Kean; in -1836, Richardson, the showman; and in 1837, the famous clown, Joey -Grimaldi. - -There were besides two names not to be forgotten, not belonging to -professors of the legitimate drama, but yet worthy in their way to be -chronicled--namely, Charles Matthews, who died in 1835, famous for his -"At Home," and his "Monopolylogue," and "Love, the Polyphonist." - -There was a curious police case in 1831, _re_ a curious subject--no -less than Madame Vestris's leg; and the following is a portion of the -case as reported in the _Times_ of January 21st:-- - - "MARLBOROUGH STREET.--A young man was brought into this office a - few days ago, charged with stealing and disposing of, on his own - account, and for his own use, the casts of several figures in - plaster of Paris and other compositions, the property of Mr. - Papera, the celebrated Italian modeller, in whose service the - prisoner lived as journeyman, and the offence charged being - clearly supported by evidence, the young man was fully committed - for trial. - - "Yesterday Mr. Papera applied again to the sitting magistrate, - for advice how to act in a case in which he had to charge the - young man in prison with an offence of much more enormous nature - than that for which he had been committed to take his trial. - - "Since the investigation of the former case, Mr. Papera said, he - had discovered that several of 'Madame Vestris's legs' were - exhibited for sale in the shop windows of various artists about - town, and on an inspection of these legs, he immediately - recognized them as his property, and they must have been stolen - from his premises by the prisoner and sold by him. - - "The magistrate inquired what sort of legs they were? - - "Mr. Papera said they were casts of Madame Vestris's leg to a - little above the knee and including the foot. - - "The magistrate asked if such casts could not have been made by - other artists, so as to render it difficult for Mr. Papera to - identify them as belonging to him. - - "Mr. Papera said it was impossible these casts could have been - made by any other artist, because he was the only person to whom - Madame Vestris had ever 'stood' to have a cast taken of her leg, - and from that cast he had made one mould or model, and only one, - and that was always kept with the greatest care under lock and - key, except when required to be used in his model room, so that - no person could possibly obtain access to it, except some one in - his employ; and, as for any attempt at imitation, that was - impossible to do with success, for so beautiful and perfect was - the symmetry of the original, that it was from it alone the - various natural niceties of the complete whole could be acquired - and to perfection formed. - - "The magistrate asked Mr. Papera if he kept these legs ready made - in his establishment, and if in that state they were stolen by - the prisoner? - - "Mr. Papera said no; they were too rare and valuable an article - to be kept ready made in the ordinary way of common shop legs, - and were only made to 'order'--that is, when especially ordered - by artists or amateurs." - -On February 22nd the young man was tried at the Old Bailey and -acquitted. - - - - -CHAPTER XXXI. - - Architects and civil engineers--Men of science--Scientific - societies--Medical men--Lawyers--"Tracts for the Times"--Curates' - pay--Flogging in the army and navy--Crime--Transportation - _versus_ hulks--Stories of convicts. - - -This was a reign in which both architecture and civil engineering were -nascent, and yet there were some famous men in both professions. Among -the former were Sir Chas. Barry, R.A., J. P. Deering, R.A., P. -Hardwick, R.A., Sir Robert Smirke and Sydney Smirke, both R.A.'s, Sir -John Soane, and Sir William Tite. Whilst among civil engineers we may -note G. P. Bidder, once the famous calculating boy, both the Brunels, -Sir W. Fairbairn, Sir John Rennie, and both the Stephensons; and, as a -mechanical engineer, Joseph Whitworth was preparing the mathematical -exactness of the tools which enabled England to hold her own, and -more, against the whole world in the manufacture of machinery. - -Of the men of science there is a fine list. Sir David Brewster, C. R. -Darwin, M. Faraday, Sir John F. W. Herschel, and his wonderful aunt -Caroline, Sir W. J. Hooker, to whom botany owes so much, as does -geology to Sir Charles Lyell, and Sir J. Murchison, Mrs. Somerville, -whose scientific attainments were marvellous, and W. H. Fox Talbot, by -whom photography was much developed, though still in its infancy. In -chemistry, we have Ure, Brande and Herapath. - -The scientific societies inaugurated in this reign are as follows: in -1831, Royal Dublin Society, Harveian Society, British Association; in -1832, British Medical Association; 1833, Entomological Society; 1834, -Statistical Society; 1837, Ornithological Society. In mechanical -science both the gas engine and Ericson's caloric engine were known, -the air-gun and limelight were novelties, and the hydro-oxygen -microscope was a source of wonder to thousands. - -A fine list, too, is to be found of medical men. Richard Bright, Sir -B. Brodie, Sir R. Christison, Sir C. M. Clarke, Sir William Fergusson, -Sir W. Laurence and Sir Charles Locock. Homeopathy was only just -beginning to be talked about at the end of the reign. - -There were some fine lawyers, Lord Abinger, Baron Alderson, Lord -Brougham, Isaac Butt, Thomas Chitty, Sir A. J. E. Cockburn, Sir J. T. -Coleridge, Lord Denman, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Lord Lyndhurst, and Sir -Frederick Thesiger, afterwards Lord Chelmsford. - -Among the higher dignitaries of the Church of England in this reign -were very few men of note,--all good men, doubtless; but, since the -Wesleyan revival, the Church had been getting a wee bit sleepy, and -wanted waking up. And it was woke up with a vengeance, when a -conference of some Anglican clergymen and others was held at Hadleigh, -July 25-29, 1833, and Oriel College may be said to be its birthplace, -for at that College were Keble, Pusey, Newman, and Froude. From the -tracts which were issued, exemplifying the views of these writers, the -movement obtained the name of Tractarian. The first tract proper -appeared September 9, 1833, and by November, 1835, seventy had -appeared; and at first they were almost universally welcomed, for they -carefully respected the Prayer-book, and defended the rights of the -clergy. But the Evangelical party became alarmed at this growing -popular movement, and, in the early part of Queen Victoria's reign, -the strife waxed fast and furious, which only infused wakefulness and -life into a somewhat dormant church, and has ended, as far as our time -go, in the establishment of a so-called "High Church" form of worship, -which would have utterly astonished the originators of the movement. -True, some few good men left the Church of England, and joined that of -Rome, but their secession only served as warnings to others, and the -Church of England is now firmer established than ever it was. - -A Clergy Act had been passed, enjoining that a curate's pay should in -no case be less than £80 per annum; and that such salary should not be -less than £100 per annum in any parish or place where the population, -according to the last parliamentary returns, should amount to three -hundred persons; where the population should amount to five hundred, -the salary was not to be less than £120, and £150 if the population -amounts to a thousand. This Act was much needed, as the following -figures show. Six curates received under £20; 59 under £30; 173 under -£40; 441 under £50; 892 under £60; 300 under £70; 415 under £80; 458 -under £90; 156 under £100; 500 under £110; 69 under £120; 207 under -£130; 52 under £140; 32 under £150; 162 under £160; 26 under £170; 15 -under £180; 5 under £190; 3 under £200; 17 under £210; 2 under £220; 2 -under £240; 3 under £250; 4 under £260; 1 under £290; 2 under £310; 1 -under £320, and 1 under £340. There were forty-three who received the -full income of the benefices they served. Two received one half of the -income, and one was paid two guineas each Sunday. - -The army and navy had very few opportunities of distinguishing -themselves; they had a well-earned rest after 1815, but they were slow -in doing away with the old bad practices in force in both services. -For instance, flogging is still in force for some offences in the -navy, by the regulations issued on December 18, 1871. Abolition of -flogging in the army, at all events in time of peace, was advocated in -Parliament in 1836, but came to nought; this was, however, done in -April, 1868, and altogether abolished in April, 1881. - -What flogging in the army was like, we may see by the following police -report, taken from the _Times_ of May 18, 1833:-- - - "MANSION HOUSE.--Yesterday, a soldier, named George M'Willen, - aged twenty-one years, was brought before the Lord Mayor, charged - by a soldier with having deserted from the 77th Regiment. - - "William Rogers, a private in the army, stated that the prisoner - had admitted to him that he had deserted from his regiment. - - "The Lord Mayor (to the prisoner): Did you acknowledge that you - deserted? - - "Prisoner: Yes, my lord, but not till he told me I was a - deserter; I was not quite such a fool. - - "The Lord Mayor: Why did you desert from your regiment? - - "Prisoner: Because I was tired of flogging. I am only twenty-one - years of age, and I have received nine hundred lashes. (Here were - some expressions of surprise and disgust.) - - "The Lord Mayor: Did I hear you rightly? Did you say nine hundred - lashes? - - "Prisoner: No doubt of it, my lord. - - "Mr. Hobler: It is impossible, if you received nine hundred - lashes, you can stand up so straight. - - "Prisoner: I received them all, and I can show the marks. It is - true I received them at different times; but I've had them all. - - "The Lord Mayor: And what have you been doing with yourself since - you deserted? - - "Prisoner: I have been mining in Cornwall. I thought it would be - the best way of getting out of danger by going underground. - - "The Lord Mayor: And why didn't you stay in Cornwall? Why did you - come to London? - - "Prisoner: I don't know why I left Cornwall; but I was looking - for work when I was taken up for deserting. I am able for any - sort of labour. - - "The Lord Mayor: Why were you flogged? - - "Prisoner: I'd rather not say anything about that; I shall soon - have to answer again. - - "Mr. Hobler: You unfortunate fellow, you must have been a great - violator of discipline, or you could not have been so dreadfully - punished. - - "The Prisoner (shaking his head): I've had my share. - - "The Lord Mayor: Tell me, are you a sober man? - - "Prisoner: No, my lord; I can't say I am. - - "The Lord Mayor: By how many Courts Martial have you been tried? - - "Prisoner: By four. In Belfast I was sentenced to receive 500 - lashes, but they only gave me 300; they forgave me 200. In - Londonderry they gave me 250. He mentioned two other places, in - one of which he received 200, and in the other 150. He had - deserted eight months ago, and had been a miner ever since, and - the very first day he ventured to town he was apprehended. - - "The Lord Mayor: You must be incorrigible, or you would never - have been so dreadfully punished. I cannot help committing you." - -In _Arnold's Magazine_ for September, 1833, a writer, speaking of -flogging in the navy, says-- - - "I saw two men who were tried for desertion, and their sentence - was to receive 500 lashes round the fleet. There is, perhaps, - nothing on the face of the earth so revolting to human nature, as - this most brutal of all outrages upon the feelings of gallant - tars under such a sentence. The day the man is to be punished is - known by the admiral making a general signal to copy orders. A - midshipman from each ship goes on board the admiral's ship with a - book, and copies the order, which states that, at a certain hour, - on such a day, a boat, manned and armed, is to be sent from the - ship from which the man is sentenced to be punished. On the day - appointed, the signal is made from the admiral, for the fleet to - draw into a line. The hands are then turned up in each ship, and - every officer appears with his cocked hat and sidearms, and the - marines are drawn up in the gangway, with muskets and fixed - bayonets. - - "The ship launch to which the delinquent belongs is hoisted out, - and rigged up for the bloody tragedy. In this boat are two - boatswain's mates, with their cats, together with the surgeon and - master-at-arms. The poor creature is now taken out of irons, in - which he has been confined both before and after his sentence, - and brought down from the deck into the boat. The master-at-arms - next desires the mates to tie him up; he is then stripped, and a - blanket thrown over his shoulders. The boats of each ship then - make their painters fast, one ahead of the other, and thus form a - long line of boats. The captain now looks over the gangway, the - master-at-arms reads the infernal sentence, and the quantity of - lashes the victim is to receive at each ship. The captain calls - the boatswain's mate, and says, 'Go on, sir, and do your duty.' - - "The blanket is now removed from the shoulders of the poor - fellow, and then commences the fiend-like exhibition. After the - victim has received one dozen, the captain tells the other - boatswain's mate to commence, and after the poor fellow has - received the next dozen the blanket is again thrown over his - shoulders, and the boats tow the launch alongside the next ship, - the drummer and fifer playing the Rogue's March. The same - ceremony is repeated from ship to ship, until the surgeon - pronounces that the man can receive no more without endangering - life; and woe be to the tyrant who dares to inflict one lash more - after the surgeon has spoken. I must here remark that I never - knew an instance of a surgeon in the navy being a tyrant; on the - contrary, both he and his assistants are always respected for - their tender regard for the sick under their care. After this - degrading and cruel punishment the man is again towed to his ship - and helped on board; he is next sent into the sick-bay, his back - anointed in order to heal it, and, in case he has not received - all his punishment, to enable him again to be tortured. When a - man has been flogged round the fleet he is of no further service, - his muscles are contracted, and he is no longer an able man." - -Luckily there was no need for impressment to fill the navy, but it was -legal, as it still is. - -But most things were rougher and more brutal than nowadays, and -nowhere was it better exemplified than in criminal punishment. Hanging -was the punishment for many offences, but there was such a growing -disinclination on the part of jurors to convict, and so many -recommendations to mercy on the part of judges, that it was about time -to modify our criminal legislature. Something must be done with the -criminals, and they must be punished somehow. It was very certain that -hanging was no deterrent to crime, which was so rampant that the gaols -in England would have been utterly unable to hold the convicts. There -was the alternative of sending them to colonize and be servants in -that vast Australian continent, of which we then knew so little; or -there was the employment of old men-of-war, called "hulks," as -floating prisons, in which the prisoners were confined at night, -working in the daytime on shore, in the dockyards, or elsewhere. These -"hulks" were verily floating hells, but they had the merit over -transportation, of economy, as we may see in a short leader in the -_Times_ of July 19, 1830:-- - - "Some useful papers have been printed by order of the House of - Commons, exhibiting by a clear and distinct table the difference - of expense attendant on the transport of convicts to New South - Wales, as compared with the cost of their retention and - employment on board of hulks in this country and in Bermuda. - - "By a return for the years 1820 to 1829 inclusive, it appears - that, deducting from the gross expense the sums earned by the - labour of the convict, the cost of feeding, clothing, and - maintaining each individual, together with that of the - establishment, and of repairing the hulks, did not, in the course - of last year, exceed £3 17_s._ 4-3/4_d._ per man. - - "The expense of transporting convicts to New South Wales presents - a very unfavourable view of that method of treatment, miscalled - punishment, as compared with detention and hard labour on board - the hulks. The official returns of 1828 give, for the charge of - carrying out each male, £26 18_s._ 6_d._; for each female, £34 - 8_s._ 6-3/4_d._ In 1829, for each male, £25 15_s._ 9-3/4_d._; for - each female, £27 12_s._ 6-1/4_d._" - -At that time Australia, Van Dieman's Land, and the Cape of Good Hope, -were so sparsely populated by Europeans, that the introduction of -criminal scum could not very well prejudice anything but the criminal -colonies themselves. Once there, they were irrevocably fixed until -their sentence was expired, and returning before that time was -punishable by death, until August, 1834, when an Act of Parliament was -passed (5 Gul. IV. c. 67) which reduced the penalty to transportation -for life. - -But if the vicious and criminal were transported, so occasionally were -the good and innocent, and one case is specially pregnant; it occurs -in a letter in the _Times_ of May 1, 1833-- - - "Sophia Hallen, a gentlewoman by birth, after having been - detained in prison for several years on an execution obtained in - an action at law by an attorney for the amount of his bill of - costs for £100, was put upon her trial at the Clerkenwell - Sessions on Thursday last, and sentenced to seven years - transportation beyond the seas, for refusing, in effect, to give - up her little property to discharge the debt of this person, who - is her only real creditor; who, it is alleged by her, has acted - improperly in not following the instructions of his client, in - the first instance; in subsequently holding back material - documents, and in rendering a false account in not giving credit - for money he had received, and which have had the effect in - making the defendant, evidently a strong-minded woman, - obstinately refuse to do any act whereby the prosecutor may - obtain payment of his demand." - -If we want to know how the system of transportation worked, a glance -through the pages of "The Felonry of New South Wales," by Jas. Mudie, -Lond., 1837, gives us details hardly to be found elsewhere. Talking -about assigning servants, how husbands were assigned to wives, etc., -and then became practically free, he says-- - - "To such a pitch has this system arrived, that the streets of - Sydney are, literally, almost as crowded with carriages of every - class as Cheapside, or the Strand, in London; carriages not only - conveying, but being the property of emancipists, and convicts - assigned to their wives. - - "A London thief, of any notoriety, after having been a short time - in Sydney, would scorn to place himself or his assignee wife in - so mean a vehicle as a gig; nothing less than a carriage and pair - is commensurate with the rank in felonry to which they have - arisen in Australia. - - "A better idea of the effect of all this upon a stranger cannot - be conveyed than by the following anecdote of an officer who - visited New South Wales on leave of absence from his regiment in - India. - - "Having gone with a friend in a gig from Sydney to the races at - Paramatta, they were passed on the road by many genteel - equipages, including close carriages, curricles, and landaus. - - "In answer to the stranger's questions, his companion informed - him that one brilliant 'set out' belonged to Sam Such-a-one, who - had been a convict, but was now a free man and a man of fortune; - that another was the property of a convict who kept a draper's - shop in Sydney, but was assigned to his wife, who had brought out - with her a large sum of money; that a third belonged to a - ticket-of-leave man, who had obtained that indulgence almost - immediately after his arrival in the colony--and so on. - - "At the racecourse, where all the 'beauty and fashion' of - felonry was assembled, the stranger's astonishment was complete - at the number of instances in which he obtained similar answers. - - "After some graver reflections on so singular an exhibition, he - ironically remarked that he thought he had better return as soon - as possible to India for the purpose of there committing some - crime that should subject him to a short sentence of - transportation; for it really seemed to him that that was the - best way of getting on in the world!" - -His description of the "fine lady convicts" is particularly amusing-- - - "Things are differently managed now, and when a transport ship - arrives at Sydney, all the madams on board occupy the few days - which elapse before their landing in preparing to produce the - most dazzling effect at their _descent_ upon the Australian - shores. - - "With rich silk dresses, bonnets _a la mode_, ear pendants three - inches long, gorgeous shawls and splendid veils, silk stockings, - kid gloves, and parasols in hand, dispensing sweet odours from - their profusely perfumed forms, they disembark, and are assigned - as _servants_ and distributed to the expectant settlers. - - "On the very road to their respective places of assignment the - women are told of the easy retirement of the factory, and advised - to get themselves sent there, without having to obtain the - consent of an assignee master. - - "Offers of marriage are made to some of them from the waysides; - and at their new habitations they are besieged by suitors. - - "The hapless settler who expected a _servant_, able, or, at - least, willing to act perhaps as house and dairymaid, finds he - has received quite a _princess_. - - "Her _highness_, with her gloved and delicate fingers, can do - _no_ sort of work! - - "Attempts are made to break her in, but in vain. 'If you don't - like me, send me to the factory,' is the common retort; and the - master, having no alternative, takes her before a Bench of - magistrates, by whom she is returned to Government, and conveyed - to the factory accordingly. - - "The author, amongst the _favours_ of this kind that have been - conferred upon himself, once received a Dulcinea who, in addition - to her other finery, brought such a cargo of hair, tooth and nail - brushes, Macassar and other hair oils, otto of roses and - botanical creams, cosmetics and scented soaps, that she might - have commenced as a dealer in perfumery. She would have spent - half her time at her toilette, and the rest in playing off the - airs of a fine lady! She was quite indignant at not being allowed - an exclusive dressing-room; and the more so as the _dear_ doctor, - during the passage, had considered her much too delicate to - endure any sort of hardship, and had been so kind and considerate - as to insist upon her using two kinds of tooth brush, lest the - hardness of that first applied should injure the enamel of her - teeth!" - -The colonies at last rebelled against having the criminals of England -imported, certainly not to their benefit, and were successful, the -Cape in 1849, and Australia generally in 1864; but a shipment of -convicts was made to West Australia as late as 1867. - -Taken altogether, crime, in this reign, was much the same as in any -other, excepting the offences of Burkeing and body-snatching, for the -sake of providing the anatomical schools with subjects--details of -which are too loathsome to read--and the crimes themselves have now no -existence. - -[Illustration: Decoration.] - - - - -BY THE SAME AUTHOR. - - - A Ballade of the Scottyshe King. - Chap Books of the Eighteenth Century. - Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne. - The Adventures of Captain John Smith. - Humour, Wit, and Satire of the Seventeenth Century. - English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon First. - Old Times. - The Dawn of the Nineteenth Century. - The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville. - A Century of Ballads. - The Fleet, its River, Prison, and Marriages. - The Legendary History of the Cross. - Men, Maidens, and Manners a Hundred Years Ago. - Romances of Chivalry. - Modern Street Ballads. - Curious Creatures in Zoology. - Social England under the Regency. - Eighteenth Century Waifs. - Drinks of the World. - The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood. - Charles Letts's Date Book and Chronological Diary. - Lord Mayor's Show in the Olden Time. - Real Sailor Songs. - "Varia." - History of the Lottery in England. - Cassell's Social Life in England (_partly_). - A Righte Merrie Christmasse! - Hyde Park from Domesday Book to Date. - When William IV. was King. - - -PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES. - - -[Transcriber's note: Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all -other inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling -has been maintained.] - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's When William IV. Was King, by John Ashton - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING *** - -***** This file should be named 60415-8.txt or 60415-8.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/1/60415/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Christine P. Travers and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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Author: John Ashton.</title> -<link rel="coverpage" href="images/cover-page.jpg" /> - -<style type="text/css"> -<!-- - -body {font-size: 1em; text-align: justify; margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 5%;} - -h1 {font-size: 140%; text-align: center; margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 2em;} -h2 {font-size: 130%; text-align: center; margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 2em;} - -a:focus, a:active { outline:#ffee66 solid 2px; background-color:#ffee66;} -a:focus img, a:active img {outline: #ffee66 solid 2px; } - -ul.none {list-style-type: none;} -li {margin-top: 0.3em;} - -p {text-indent: 1em;} -p.tn {margin-left: 10%; width: 80%; font-size: 80%;} - -table.toc {border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: auto; - width: 80%; margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} - -table {border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: auto; - width: 90%; margin-left: 5%; margin-top: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em;} - -.p2 {margin-top: 2em; margin-bottom: 1em;} -.p4 {margin-top: 4em; margin-bottom: 1em;} - -.add1em {margin-left: 1em;} -.add2em {margin-left: 2em;} -.add3em {margin-left: 3em;} -.add4em {margin-left: 4em;} -.add6em {margin-left: 6em;} -.add7em {margin-left: 7em;} -.add10em {margin-left: 10em;} - -.smcap {font-variant: small-caps; font-size: 95%;} -.small {font-size: 70%;} -.smaller {font-size: 80%;} - -.resume {margin-left: 2em; text-indent: -2em; font-size: 80%; margin-bottom: 2em;} -.center {text-align: center; text-indent: 0em;} -.date {text-align: right; margin-right: 5%;} -.signa {text-align: right; margin-right: 5%;} -.quote {margin-left: 10%; font-size: 90%;} - -.td_right {text-align: right;} -.lspacing1em {letter-spacing: 1em;} - -.bor_bottop_no {border-bottom-style: none; border-top-style: none;} -.bor_left_no {border-left-style: none;} -.bor_right_no {border-right-style: none;} -.bor_top_no {border-top-style: none;} -.bor_bot_no {border-bottom-style: none;} -.bor_top_yes {border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px;} -.bor_bot_yes {border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px;} - -.center_poem {margin: auto; text-indent: 0; text-align: center;} -.center_poem .poem {margin-top: 0em;} -.center_poem p {text-indent: 0em;} -.poem {font-size: 90%; text-indent: 0em; text-align: left; display: inline-block;} -.poem {text-indent: 0em;} - -.pagenum {visibility: hidden; - position: absolute; right:0; text-align: right; - font-size: 10px; - font-weight: normal; font-variant: normal; - font-style: normal; letter-spacing: normal; - color: #C0C0C0; background-color: inherit;} - -.figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} - -@media handheld -{ -div.chapter {page-break-before: always;} -h2 {page-break-before: always;} -} ---> -</style> - -</head> - -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of When William IV. Was King, by John Ashton - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and -most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms -of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll -have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using -this ebook. - - - -Title: When William IV. Was King - -Author: John Ashton - -Release Date: October 3, 2019 [EBook #60415] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Christine P. Travers and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net -(This file was produced from images generously made -available by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/front.jpg" width="500" height="583" alt="" title="Portrait." /> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h1>When<br /> - WILLIAM IV.<br /> - was King.</h1> - -<p class="p4 center"><span class="small">BY</span><br /> - JOHN ASHTON,<br /> - -<span class="smaller">AUTHOR OF<br /> - "SOCIAL LIFE IN THE REIGN OF QUEEN ANNE," ETC., ETC., ETC.</span></p> - -<p class="p4 center smaller">WITH FORTY-SEVEN ILLUSTRATIONS.</p> - -<p class="p4 center">LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, <span class="smcap">LD.</span><br /> -1896.</p> -</div> - -<div class="p4 chapter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="pagev" name="pagev"></a>(p. v)</span> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/decorv.jpg" width="500" height="168" alt="" title="Decoration" /> -</div> - -<h2>PREFACE.</h2> - -<p>Several "Life and Times of William IV." have been written, but they -all contain a great deal of "Life," and very little "Times." The -present book reverses this, and deals, primarily, with the chief -topics of conversation during the seven years of King William's reign, -and, afterwards, with the social aspect of the times.</p> - -<p>Although I treat of a period but sixty years since, it is a time of -which much is to be said which is unknown to the present generation, -and one which has had a deep and lasting influence on our own times. -Then began the mighty reign of steam; then was inaugurated the first -passenger railway, to which small beginning England owes so much. -Then, too, steam navigation began to be general, developing <span class="pagenum"><a id="pagevi" name="pagevi"></a>(p. vi)</span> -that commerce which has been the making of the country. Science woke -up, as did Art, whilst the introduction of the Railway caused our -manufactures to progress by leaps and bounds.</p> - -<p>Politics have been avoided as much as possible; and, although the book -is necessarily somewhat discursive, I would fain hope it will be found -interesting; and, in the words of the writer of Maccabees (Book II. -xv. 38), I say, "Which if I have done well, and as it becometh the -history, it is what I desired, but, if not so perfectly, it must be -pardoned me."</p> - -<p class="signa">JOHN ASHTON.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/decorvi.jpg" width="400" height="257" alt="" title="Decoration." /> -</div> - -</div> - - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="pagevii" name="pagevii"></a>(p. vii)</span> CONTENTS.</h2> - -<table class="toc" summary="contents."> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER I.</td> -<td class="td_right small">PAGE</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1830.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td>Illness of George IV. — His death — Sale of his clothes, etc. — The new - King — His character</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page1">1</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER II.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1830.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr><td>Proclamation of William IV. — The Beer Act — The Queen and gas — Burial - of George IV. — The King and the Duke of Cumberland — The - King as a soldier — He meddles with the uniforms of the - army</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page8">8</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER III.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1830.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>The King as "<i lang="fr">bon bourgeois</i>" — Mobbed — Street song about him — A - sailor in Guildhall — Behaviour of the public at Windsor — Charles - X. in England — The "New Police" — A modest - advertisement</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page17">17</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IV.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1830.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — Death of Mr. - Huskisson — Agricultural lawlessness — Captain Swing — Executions - for riot — Riots throughout the country — Special Commissions — Prayer - to be used in churches and chapels</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page28">28</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="pageviii" name="pageviii"></a>(p. viii)</span> CHAPTER V.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1830.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Duke of Wellington mobbed and stoned — Owing to riots, the - King postponed his visit to the city — No Lord Mayor's show, - nor dinner — Riots in the city — Apsley House besieged — Ireland - proclaimed — Ferment in the country — Change of Ministry — Royal - succession — Scotch regalia — Curious story of a bank-note</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page37">37</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1831.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Incendiary fires — Captain Swing — The result of Cobbett's lectures — Special - Commission — Prosecution of Carlile — Election expenses — List - of Close boroughs — Collapse of Reform Bill — The King - stoned — <i lang="fr">Debût</i> of Princess Victoria — The <cite>Times</cite> and the House - of Lords — Bribery at elections — Action for libel — "The King - <i>v.</i> Cobbett" — Prince Leopold made King of the Belgians</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page49">49</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1831.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Opening of New London Bridge — After the luncheon — State of the - waiters — Provision for the Princess Victoria — Sale of Sir Walter - Scott's MSS. — The coronation — Its expenses — A "half crownation" — The - Lord Mayor and his gold cup</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page62">62</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER VIII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1831.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Scramble for coronation medals — Bad weather — Fireworks in Hyde - Park — Absence from the ceremony of the Duchess of Kent and - Princess Victoria — The <cite>Times</cite> thereon — Story of a Great Seal — Reform - Bill rejected by the Lords — Reform riots in the - country and London — Windows of Apsley House broken by - the mob</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page74">74</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER IX.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1831.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Reform procession — The Corporation of London and the King — Dreadful - riots at Bristol — Riots in other parts of the kingdom — Edward - Irving and the "Gift of Tongues" — The cholera — Its - spread — State of Ireland — Tithe agitation — Scarcity of food — Repeal - of the Union — Cases of violence</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page85">85</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="pageix" name="pageix"></a>(p. ix)</span> CHAPTER X.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1832.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Commissions at Bristol and Nottingham — Executions — Employment - of children in factories — Cholera in London — Day of fast and - humiliation — Riot in Finsbury — Cholera riot at Paisley — A - small one in London — Decrease of cholera — Number of deaths — Cholera - in Ireland — A charm against it — Its effect on rooks — The - police, City and Metropolitan</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page101">101</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1832.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Reform Bill passes the Commons — Scotch boys and the Reform Bill — Proposed - increase of the peerage — Passed in the Lords — "The - Marylebone or Tory Hunt" — The Duke of Wellington - mobbed — The King stoned — The Queen hissed — Archbishop of - Canterbury stoned</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page114">114</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1832.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>The first reformed Parliament — Steam communication with India — State - of Ireland — Lawless behaviour — Malversation of justice — O'Connell - and the Trades' Political Union — Crime in Ireland</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page124">124</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1833.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Employment of children in factories — Evidence — Passing of Factory - Act — Gambling — Crockford's club — Gambling "hells" — Police - case</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page132">132</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIV.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1833.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>The overland route to India — The Government and Lieutenant - Waghorn — Police magistrate and the press — Cobbett and the - British Museum — Prevalence of influenza — "National Convention" - riot — Policeman killed — The coroner and the jury — Adulteration - of tea</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page143">143</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="pagex" name="pagex"></a>(p. x)</span> CHAPTER XV.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1833.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>The Queen's visit to the City — Her unpopularity — King's dislike of - the Duchess of Kent — Hungerford Market opened — Death and - funeral of Wilberforce — Abolition of slavery — Synopsis of Act — A - Women's rowing match — List of periodicals and their - circulation — Return of Captain Ross — State of Ireland — Passing - of "Coercion Bill," etc.</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page154">154</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1834.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Corporation commission — Curious advertisement — Discovery of - treasure — Bribery at Liverpool — Duke of York's statue — Trades' - unions — Skit thereon — Riot at Oldham — Unionist oath — Union - meeting and monster petition — Its fate — Duke of Wellington - made Chancellor of Oxford — The Princess Victoria's lover</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page165">165</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1834.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Crockford's and game — The <i lang="xx">chef</i> in trouble — Burning of the Houses - of Parliament — The tapestry in the House of Lords — Story of - one piece — Temporary House of Lords — Tithe riots in Ireland — Change - of Ministry</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page178">178</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XVIII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1835.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>First cargo of ice to India — Election riots at Halifax and in Scotland — A - female sailor — The new temporary Houses of Parliament — The - King and others hissed — Question of admitting ladies — A - political skit — Deaths of Hunt and Cobbett</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page189">189</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XIX.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1835.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Gambling house police case — Curious superstition — A cook's letter - to her mistress — Jews and public employment — Fire at Hatfield - House — Curious discovery of jewels — Scarcity in Ireland</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page201">201</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="pagexi" name="pagexi"></a>(p. xi)</span> CHAPTER XX.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1836.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Curious case of a girl stolen by gipsies — Superstition <i>re</i> light at - Christmas in the North of England — Designs for New Houses - of Parliament — King William III. statue blown up — Admission - of ladies to the House of Commons — Stuart impostors — An - inter-university boat race — How Cambridge came to have light - blue as a colour</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page214">214</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1836.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Report on the British Museum — The King and the Duchess of Kent; - a scene — Inauguration of George III.'s Statue at Charing Cross — Poetry - at the police court — The trip of the Nassau balloon</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page226">226</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">1837.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Epidemic of influenza — A scene in some Metropolitan graveyards — Lord - de Ros and his cheating at cards — Invention of sewing - machine — Coming of age of Princess Victoria — Illuminations, - etc. — The Spitalfield's silk weavers' ball — Illness of the King — His - death and burial</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page236">235</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Men's dress — Education — School advertisements — The original of - Squeers — Girls' schools — Tea as a meal — Food — A foreigner's - sketch of an English dinner-party — A high-class dinner — An - ideal dinner</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page248">248</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIV.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Clubs — Theatres — Other amusements — A foreigner's idea of London — London - streets and noises — "Buy a broom?" girls</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page262">262</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="pagexii" name="pagexii"></a>(p. xii)</span> CHAPTER XXV.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Holborn Viaduct — Omnibuses — Cabs — Hansom's patent — Posting — Mail - coaches — Stage coaches — Hotels</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page277">277</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Steam carriages on roads — Commission thereon — Steam omnibus — Railways — A - nuisance — Railways started during the reign — Opening - of the Greenwich Railway</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page286">286</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Cases of wife selling — Duelling — Cases of — O'Connell and D'Israeli — Other - duels</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page295">295</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXVIII.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Smuggling — Its prevalence — Cases — Great smuggling of silks, etc. — More - cases</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page311">311</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXIX.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Legitimate trade — The "truck" system — Its downfall — State of - trade — Newspaper stamps — Steel pens — Literature — List of - authors — Painters — Sculptors</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page321">321</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXX.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Musicians — Paganini — His avarice — Ole Bull — Curious musical instruments — Jim - Crow — The opera and its singers — The ballet — Actors, - etc. — Madame Vestris's leg</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page334">334</a></td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="3"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="2" class="center">CHAPTER XXXI.</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Architects and civil engineers — Men of science — Scientific societies — Medical - men — Lawyers — "Tracts for the Times" — Curates' - pay — Flogging in the army and navy — Crime — Transportation - <i lang="la">versus</i> hulks — Stories of convicts</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right"><a href="#page344">344</a></td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> - -<div class="p4 figcenter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page1" name="page1"></a>(p. 1)</span> -<img src="images/decor1.jpg" width="500" height="152" alt="" title="Decoration." /> -</div> - -<h1>WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING.</h1> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2>CHAPTER I.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1830.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Illness of George IV. — His death — Sale of his clothes, etc. — The - new King — His character.</p> - -<p>In the <cite>Times</cite> of Friday, April 16, 1830, we have the following <em>Court -Circular</em>:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"His Majesty, we regret to state, has experienced, during the - last few days, an attack of indisposition. The King took an - airing for some time on Monday. During the night his Majesty - became indisposed; Sir Henry Halford, who was in attendance at - the Palace that evening, and who, according to his usual - practice, slept there, left the Palace on Tuesday morning and - came to town, but thought it advisable to return to Windsor in - the evening. Sir Henry came to town on Wednesday morning, and - again returned to the Palace; when, finding that the King's - attack of illness had increased, Sir Henry sent for Sir Matthew - Tierney at an early hour yesterday morning. Sir Matthew - immediately left town: on his arrival at the Palace, the two - medical gentlemen held a consultation on the state of the King, - and, afterwards, issued the following bulletin, a few minutes - before one o'clock:—</p> - -<p class="date"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page2" name="page2"></a>(p. 2)</span> <i>Windsor Castle, April 15.</i></p> - - <p><i>We regret to state that the King has had a bilious attack, - accompanied by an embarrassment in breathing. His Majesty, - although free from fever, is languid and weak.</i></p> - -<p class="signa">(<i>Signed</i>)<span class="add2em smcap">Henry Halford.</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Matthew John Tierney.</span></p> - - <p>"No alteration taking place in the state of the King, Sir Henry - Halford, shortly after the issuing of the Bulletin, left the - Castle in his carriage and four, for London. Sir Matthew Tierney - remained in attendance on his Majesty during the whole of - yesterday afternoon and evening, and it was arranged would sleep - at the Palace. His Majesty remaining much in the same state - during the afternoon, Sir Henry was not sent for, but would, it - was expected, remain in Town during last night."</p> -</div> - -<p>This was the first intimation, to the nation, of the serious condition -of George the Fourth. He was paying the penalty for the irregularities -of his life, by suffering from a complication of diseases; -inflammation of the chest, gout in the stomach, dropsy, ossification -of the heart, bile, and asthma. Latterly, he had retired to Virginia -water, where he lived at the so-called "Cottage," solaced by the -society of Lady Conyngham, and existing chiefly on brandy and curaçoa. -His age (for he was in his sixty-eighth year) was against his -recovery, and at 3.13 a.m. on the 26th of June, 1830, he expired. He -was in bed when the stroke of death fell upon him. The page next him, -instantly proceeded to raise his Majesty, according to the motion -which he signified by his finger. The King was, at once, assisted into -a chair at his bedside, and a great alteration struck the page, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page3" name="page3"></a>(p. 3)</span> as overcasting the royal countenance; the King's eyes became -fixed, his lips quivered, and he appeared to be sinking into a -fainting fit. The physicians were instantly sent for, and the -attendants at once assisted the King with sal volatile, eau de -cologne, and such stimulants as were at hand on the table. At this -moment his Majesty attempted to raise his hand to his breast, faintly -ejaculating, "O God! I am dying;" and, after a pause of two or three -seconds, he uttered the following words, which were his last: "This is -death!"</p> - -<p>So passed away George the Magnificent—and the Marchioness of -Conyngham immediately began to pack up and hurry off, whither, no one -exactly knew. What she took with her was never known; but, later on, -she had to disgorge some very valuable jewels. Needless to say, there -was a grand funeral; and then came the sale of his wardrobe and -effects, of which Greville writes<a id="footnotetag1" name="footnotetag1"></a><a href="#footnote1" title="Go to footnote 1"><span class="smaller">[1]</span></a>:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"August 3, 1830.—I went, yesterday, to the sale of the late - King's wardrobe, which was numerous enough to fill Monmouth - Street, and sufficiently various and splendid for the wardrobe of - Drury Lane. He hardly ever gave anything away, except his linen, - which was distributed every year. These clothes are the - perquisites of his pages, and will fetch a pretty sum. There are - all the coats he has ever had for fifty years; three hundred - whips, canes without number, every sort of uniform, the costumes - of all the orders in Europe, splendid furs, pelisses, - hunting-coats and breeches, and, among other things, a dozen pair - of corduroy breeches he had made to hunt in, when Don Miguel was - here. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page4" name="page4"></a>(p. 4)</span> His profusion in these articles was unbounded, - because he never paid for them, and his memory was so accurate, - that one of his pages told me he recollected every article of - dress, no matter how old, and that they were always liable to be - called on to produce some particular coat, or other article of - apparel of years gone by."</p> - -<p>The <cite>Times</cite> (August 18, 1830) says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The late King's wardrobe has been selling, for the last - fortnight, at the warehouse of Mr. Bailey, the King's Upholder, - in Mount Street, Grosvenor Square. The property was immense. It - was the perquisites of the Pages of the Back Stairs, six in - number; and we hear that the sale realized £15,000. The Earl of - Chesterfield gave 200 guineas for a sable pelisse, which has - since been valued at 600, and was a present from the Emperor - Alexander. The Marquis of Hertford was among the purchasers. - There were many pairs of boots and shoes, which were sold at - 5<i>s.</i> per pair, one with the other, to a person in the trade. - There were numerous pairs of silk stockings. The cambric and silk - handkerchiefs produced a guinea each, although the pages said - they were not worth more than 7<i>s.</i> each. The cellar of snuff was - bought by Mr. Pontet, of Pall Mall, for £400."</p> - -<p>This latter fact is scarcely correct. It was bought by Messrs. -Freybourg and Treyer, of the Haymarket, who set apart a special room -for its sale.</p> - -<p>To finish up with the sale of the royal effects, we read in the -<cite>Gentleman's Magazine</cite>, of June 9, 1831, that—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"A portion of his late Majesty's costly and splendid wardrobe, - destined for public sale, including the magnificent coronation - robes and other costumes, was sold by auction, by Mr. Phillips, - at his rooms in New Bond Street. There were 120 lots disposed of, - out of which we subjoin the principal, in the order in which they - were put up—</p> - - <p>"No. 13. An elegant yellow and silver sash of the Royal <span class="pagenum"><a id="page5" name="page5"></a>(p. 5)</span> - Hanoverian Guelphic Order, £3 8<i>s.</i>—17. A pair of fine kid - trousers, of ample dimensions, and lined with white satin, was - sold for 12<i>s.</i>—35. The Coronation ruff, formed of superb - Mechlin lace, £2.—50. The costly Highland costume, worn by our - late Sovereign at Dalkeith Palace, the seat of his Grace the Duke - of Buccleugh, in the summer of 1822, was knocked down at - £40.—52.<a id="footnotetag2" name="footnotetag2"></a><a href="#footnote2" title="Go to footnote 2"><span class="smaller">[2]</span></a> The sumptuous crimson velvet Coronation mantle, with - silver star, embroidered with gold, in appropriate devices, and - which cost, originally, according to the statement of the - auctioneer, upwards of £500, was knocked down at 47 guineas.—53. - A crimson coat to suit with the above, £14.—55. A magnificent - gold body dress and trousers, 26 guineas.—67. An extraordinary - large white aigrette plume, brought from Paris by the Earl of - Fife, in April, 1815, and presented by his lordship to the King, - was sold for £15.—87. A richly embroidered silver tissue - Coronation waistcoat and trunk hose, £13.—95. The splendid - purple velvet Coronation mantle, sumptuously embroidered with - gold, of which it was said to contain 200 ounces. It was knocked - down at £55, although it was stated to have cost his late Majesty - £300.—96. An elegant and costly green velvet mantle, lined with - ermine of the finest quality; presented by the Emperor Alexander - to his late Majesty, which cost upwards of 1000 guineas, was - knocked down at £125."</p> -</div> - -<p>These prices do not show that the people cared much to possess relics -of their late sovereign; indeed, he was speedily forgotten, and all -eyes were turned to the rising sun. The newspapers teemed with -anecdotes of him, from his childhood upwards (mostly very sorry -stuff), and, oblivious of his errors, inanity, and frivolity, the -people hailed William (why or wherefore?) as "The Patriot King." Until -the death of the Duke of York, he had excited no more public interest -than any of the other royal princes; but <span class="pagenum"><a id="page6" name="page6"></a>(p. 6)</span> when that event took -place, he was looked upon as heir to the throne, had an increased -grant from Parliament, and lived a somewhat retired life at Bushey -Park, with his wife, Amelia Adelaide, eldest child of George, Duke of -Saxe-Coburg-Meiningen, whom he married on July 18, 1818.</p> - -<p>His life, previous to his accession to the throne, is not within the -province of this book—it is sufficient to say that at no time was he -remarkable for his intellect, tractability, or social manners. Hear -what Greville,<a id="footnotetag3" name="footnotetag3"></a><a href="#footnote3" title="Go to footnote 3"><span class="smaller">[3]</span></a> an acute observer, even if he were somewhat of a -cynic, says about him at his accession—</p> - -<p class="quote">"London, July 16.—I returned here on the 6th of this month, and - have waited these ten days to look about me, and see and hear - what is passing. The present King and his proceedings occupy all - attention, and nobody thinks any more of the late King, than if - he had been dead fifty years, unless it be to abuse him and rake - up all his vices and misdeeds. Never was elevation like that of - William IV. His life has, hitherto, passed in obscurity and - neglect, in miserable poverty, surrounded by a numerous progeny - of bastards, without consideration or friends, and he was - ridiculous from his grotesque ways and little meddling curiosity. - Nobody ever invited them into their house, or thought it - necessary to honour him with any mark of attention or respect; - and so he went on for about forty years, till Canning brought him - into notice by making him Lord High Admiral at the time of his - grand ministerial schism. In that post he distinguished himself - by making absurd speeches, by a morbid official activity, and by - a general wildness which was thought to indicate incipient - insanity, till shortly after Canning's death and the Duke's<a id="footnotetag4" name="footnotetag4"></a><a href="#footnote4" title="Go to footnote 4"><span class="smaller">[4]</span></a> - accession, it is well known, the latter dismissed him. He then - dropped back into obscurity, but had <span class="pagenum"><a id="page7" name="page7"></a>(p. 7)</span> become, by this time, - somewhat more of a personage than he was before. His brief - administration of the Navy, the death of the Duke of York, which - made him heir to the throne, his increased wealth and regular - habits, had procured him more consideration, though not a great - deal. Such was his position when George IV. broke all at once, - and after three months of expectation, William finds himself - King."</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page8" name="page8"></a>(p. 8)</span> CHAPTER II.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1830.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Proclamation of William IV. — The Beer Act — The Queen and - gas — Burial of George IV. — The King and the Duke of - Cumberland — The King as a soldier — He meddles with the uniforms - of the army.</p> - -<p>On Monday, June 28, 1830, the king came at an early hour to St. -James's Palace to witness the ceremony of his proclamation, which was -duly done at 10 a.m., with the usual pomp, the heralds giving forth -that, with the acquiescence of everybody—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We do now hereby, with one voice and consent of tongue and - heart, proclaim that the High and Mighty Prince William, Duke of - Clarence, is now, by the death of the late Sovereign, of happy - memory, become our only lawful and rightful Liege Lord William - the Fourth, by the Grace of God, King of Great Britain and - Ireland;" and so forth.</p> - -<p>It was a gay sight, for people had not had time to get into mourning -costume, and the bright summer dresses of the ladies made it a -brilliant show.</p> - -<p>He commenced his reign with a gracious act, which considerably added -to his popularity. Before the ceremony of proclamation he showed -himself at a window in St. James's Palace, before which some thousands -of people had assembled. According to the <cite>Globe</cite>—</p> - -<p class="quote"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page9" name="page9"></a>(p. 9)</span> "By some Jack-in-Office, the spectators were ordered to be - dispersed, which was speedily done by the Life Guards. On the - arrival of the heralds to proclaim the accession, the King - reappeared at his window, and, finding a vacant space below, - which, previously, was crowded, with some degree of surprise, - said, 'What has become of the people?' On being told they had - been removed, 'By whose order?' next inquired the King. He was so - dissatisfied with the answer as to command the gate of the - courtyard immediately to be re-opened, and the public to be - re-admitted, who soon re-assembled in great numbers, and cheered - their Sovereign most vociferously."</p> - -<p>The change of rulers did not affect Parliament. The Lords adjourned -for a day, and the Commons did very little business until all the -members had taken the oath of allegiance to the new sovereign, who -kept on the old Ministry, with the Duke of Wellington at its head. -Very shortly afterwards, the question of a Regency (the Princess -Victoria being only twelve years old) cropped up; and after that, on -July 12th, was read a third time and passed in the House of Lords "An -Act to permit the general Sale of Beer and Cyder by Retail in England" -(1 Gul. IV. c. lxiv.), which the <cite>Times</cite> describes as "a great victory -obtained for the poor over the unpitying avarice of the rich."</p> - -<p>Beer always had been the standard drink of England, and, at this time, -no cheap substitute had been found for it. Tea was far too dear for -common folk, as was coffee, and cocoa or chocolate were only for the -well-to-do. This Act is virtually that under which beer-houses are now -licensed, which made a licence to sell beer <em>only</em> easy to obtain. It -suited the times, and was very popular. A song, which is still -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page10" name="page10"></a>(p. 10)</span> sung, but which dates from early Victorian times, makes a -slight error as to the intention of the Act, but it shows a grateful -remembrance of the same. It is called—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">I likes a Drop of Good Beer.</span>"</p> - -<p>"Come one and all, both great and small<br /> -<span class="add1em">With voices loud and clear,</span><br /> - And let us sing, bless Billy the King,<br /> -<span class="add1em">Who bated the tax upon beer.</span></p> - -<p class="center"><i>Chorus</i>:</p> - -<p>"<i>For I likes a drop of good beer, I does,</i><br /> - <i>I'se pertickler fond of my beer, I is;</i><br /> - <i>And —— his eyes whoever he tries</i><br /> -<span class="add1em"><i>To rob a poor man of his beer.</i>"</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img10.jpg" width="500" height="367" alt="" title="The Duke of Wellington providing the people with beer." /> -</div> - -<p>The accompanying illustration, by an anonymous artist, shows the Duke -of Wellington providing the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page11" name="page11"></a>(p. 11)</span> people with beer, in a popular -manner. It is entitled "Opening the Beer Trade; or, Going into a New -Line of Business."</p> - -<p>The background is formed of two houses; one the sign of the King's -Head; the other, the Druggist's Arms. Outside the closed door of the -latter, which is "To let, enquire of the Brewers," stands Timothy -Mix'em, dealer in compounds, who, looking at the group, mournfully -remarks, "They'll soon shut up all the houses by opening the Trade." -The King's Head is kept by Arthur and Co., dealer in swipes, who -proclaims on his windows, "Genuine Beer, from Malt and Hops only," and -has a placard that the New Beer Act commences October 10, 1830. The -old Duke of Wellington says to the dustman and his wife, "Come, my -Britons, here's your real malt and hops;" whilst Peel, as pot-boy, -remarks, "No poisonous drugs here, my boys, it's all real stuff."</p> - -<p>On July 23rd, Parliament was dissolved.</p> - -<p>Ever since the accession of William IV. his slightest movements were -chronicled, even down to the smallest of small beer, such as<a id="footnotetag5" name="footnotetag5"></a><a href="#footnote5" title="Go to footnote 5"><span class="smaller">[5]</span></a>—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The Duke of Wellington, when at Windsor, a few days ago, - directed that the gas might be cut off from the interior of the - castle, by the desire of the Queen, who, we understand, - entertained apprehensions lest an accident might be caused by - explosion. Her Majesty's wishes will, of course, be immediately - complied with, and directions have already been given to the Gas - Company for the purpose."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page12" name="page12"></a>(p. 12)</span> The movements of the Princess Victoria, who had now become a -personage, were also duly chronicled, and we are told how "The -presence of the Duchess (of Kent) and her interesting daughter will, -no doubt, attract numerous visitors to Malvern."</p> - -<p>George IV., after lying in state, was buried on July 15th, with all -the pomp usually accompanying the burial of a King of England. -Greville tells us how his successor behaved on this occasion—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At the late King's funeral he behaved with great indecency. That - ceremony was very well managed, and a fine sight, the military - part particularly, and the Guards were magnificent. The - attendance was not very numerous, and, when they had all got - together in St. George's Hall, a gayer company I never beheld; - with the exception of Mount Charles, who was deeply affected, - they were all as merry as grigs. The King was chief mourner, and, - to my astonishment, as he entered the chapel, directly behind the - body, in a situation in which he should have been apparently, if - not really, absorbed in the melancholy duty he was performing, he - darted up to Strathaven, who was ranged on one side below the - Dean's stall, shook him heartily by the hand, and then went on - nodding to the right and left. He had, previously, gone as chief - mourner to sit for an hour at the head of the body as it lay in - state, and he walked in procession, with his household, to the - apartment. I saw him pass from behind the screen. Lord Jersey had - been in the morning to Bushey to kiss hands on being made - Chamberlain, when he had received him very graciously, told him - it was the Duke, and not himself, who had made him, but that he - was delighted to have him. At Windsor, when he arrived, he gave - Jersey the white wand; or, rather, took one from him he had - provided for himself, and gave it him again with a little speech. - When he went to sit in state, Jersey preceded him, and he said, - when all was ready, 'Go on to the body, Jersey; you will get your - dress coat as soon as you can.'"</p> - -<p>Personal gossip about the King, is not the scheme <span class="pagenum"><a id="page13" name="page13"></a>(p. 13)</span> of this -book; but, as it formed the main topic of general conversation at the -time, it cannot be passed over. His brother, the greatly disliked Duke -of Cumberland, afterwards King of Hanover, had usurped the functions -of the other colonels of the guards, and had elected himself a -permanent Gold Stick, but the new monarch said his rank was too high -for him to perform such service, and relegated the office to its -former footing, that each colonel should share the office in turns.</p> - -<p>Nor was this the only friction between the brothers. The Duke of -Cumberland's horses had hitherto occupied the stables allotted to the -Queen, and when Lord Errol, her Master of the Horse, asked her where -she would have her horses stabled, she replied, she "did not know, but -he was to put them in their proper place." Accordingly, the King was -asked for an order to remove the duke's horses, which was given -through the Duke of Leeds, who went to the Duke of Cumberland, and -received for answer that "he would be d—d if they should go;" but on -its being represented to him that if he did not remove them, they -would be turned out, he sulkily gave way.</p> - -<p>The King, who, as every one knows, had been brought up as a sailor, -now turned his attention to things military, and his first review is -thus described by Greville—</p> - -<p class="quote">"July 20.—Yesterday was a very busy day with his Majesty, who - is going much too fast, and begins to alarm his Ministers <span class="pagenum"><a id="page14" name="page14"></a>(p. 14)</span> - and astonish the world. In the morning he inspected the - Coldstream Guards, dressed (for the first time in his life) in a - military uniform, and with a great pair of gold spurs half way up - his legs like a game-cock, although he was not to ride, for, - having chalk stones in his hands, he can't hold the reins."</p> - -<p>He next began to meddle with the uniforms, etc. in the army, doubtless -with a view to save the pockets of the officers, for army dress, under -George the Magnificent, had become very much gold belaced and -expensive; but of all the orders issued on August 2nd from the Horse -Guards, we will only take two.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img14.jpg" width="500" height="480" alt="" title="Barber." /> -</div> - -<p class="quote"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page15" name="page15"></a>(p. 15)</span> "The moustachios of the Cavalry (excepting in the Life - Guards, the Horse Guards, and the Hussars) to be abolished, and - the hair of the non-commissioned officer and soldier throughout - the regular force to be cut close at the sides and back of the - head, instead of being worn in that bushy and unbecoming fashion - adopted by some regiments."</p> - -<p>The illustration on the opposite page is taken from a contemporary -song called "Adieu, my Moustachios!" Words by T. Haynes Bayly; music -by J. Blewitt, and the first verse runs thus—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p>"Adieu, my moustachios! farewell to my tip!<br /> - Lost, lost is the pride of my chin and my lip!<br /> - When Laura last saw me she said that the world<br /> - Contain'd no moustachois so charmingly curl'd!<br /> - But razors are ruthless, my honours they nip,<br /> - Adieu, my moustachois! farewell to my tip!"</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img15.jpg" width="500" height="292" alt="" title="Adieu, my moustachios!" /> -</div> - -<p>Order No. 2 was as follows:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The four regiments of Hussars to be dressed exactly alike. Their - officers to have one dress only, and that of a less costly - pattern, which will forthwith be prepared."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page16" name="page16"></a>(p. 16)</span> Of course, this, like the former ukase, could not escape the -satirist, and we have the accompanying illustration by R. S. entitled, -"<span class="smcap">Raising the Wind by Royal Authority</span>. His Majesty intends diminishing -the extravagant expense of the Military Officer's dress. <i>See the -papers.</i>"</p> - -<p>Here we see the Jew old clothesmen chaffering against each other and -bargaining with Hussar Officers for their compulsorily left-off -finery.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page17" name="page17"></a>(p. 17)</span> CHAPTER III.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1830.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">The King as "<i lang="fr">bon bourgeois</i>" — Mobbed — Street song about him — A - sailor in Guildhall — Behaviour of the public at Windsor — Charles - X. in England — The "New Police" — A modest advertisement.</p> - -<p>The King affected the <i lang="fr">bon bourgeois</i>, which, after the regal -etiquette of the late King, rather astonished the lieges. The -<cite>Magazine of Fashions</cite> for August, says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"He comes unexpectedly and unattended, as they are trooping the - guard at St. James's, attired like a private gentleman, and nods - graciously to the people, passes jokes with the officers, and - tells the privates 'they shall rise by their own merits.'</p> - - <p>"He comes to town on the dickey of his own chariot.</p> - - <p>"He goes to Somerset House in a pair-horse carriage without a - lancer, dragoon, or policeman to attend him, because he says, - 'his guards are his people;' and he stops purposely in the - streets that the people may say 'they have seen a King!'</p> - - <p>"He employs a hairdresser in Water Lane, Fleet Street, to make - his coachman's white and curled wigs; because the poor fellow, - when he knew better days, lived at the West End, and was employed - by the then Duke of Clarence. We have seen these wigs being made.</p> - - <p>"He has all the members of his family, as a family, about him, - and 'harmony and affection' is his favourite toast.</p> - - <p>"He neither likes moustaches nor foreign servants; because the - one disguises an Englishman's face, and the other dupes an - Englishman's pocket.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page18" name="page18"></a>(p. 18)</span> "He observes an old sailor upon the lamp-post, near - Somerset House, who gets aloft 'to look out for his captain' (old - blue trouser's own words), and he sends him enough to rum it for - a week.</p> - - <p>"He overhauls the documents of the Navy Pay Office, to ascertain - if any arrears of pay or prize-money are due to the seamen; and - he orders refreshments to the poor recruits, to encourage them to - become soldiers.</p> - - <p>"He meets two <em>ladies</em> (by character as well as title) in St. - James's, one of whom solicits the honour to kiss his hand. - 'Madam,' says the gallant monarch, 'my glove for courtiers, but - <em>my cheek for ladies</em>; may I <em>be permitted to touch yours</em>?' Lady - M—— 'wore her <em>blushing</em> honours thick about her.'</p> - - <p>"He asks people to dinner in the style of a friend, rather than a - command, and does not require their presence if they have 'a - better engagement.'</p> - - <p>"Above all things, he impresses upon those who pay their respects - to him officially, or visit him familiarly, that his friends are - the Queen's.</p> - - <p>"He proceeds in person, and in a style becoming the splendour of - the Crown, to dissolve Parliament, appearing himself in the - costume of a thorough-paced sailor; thus practising in his own - person the precepts he command—thus giving countenance to his - fellow-tars appearing in his presence in the dress which they can - afford to procure, and in which they have conquered.</p> - - <p>"His Majesty, we hear, paid great attention to Sir Robert Wilson - at the <i lang="fr">levée</i>, and, after conversing with him familiarly for - some time, said, in conclusion, 'Meet me to-night at Sussex's, - and bring your daughters with you.'</p> - - <p>"A female servant of Mr. Brown, of Northampton, being in town - with her mistress, was permitted to go to the review on Monday - last, and, having obtained liberty from one of the soldiers to - pass in front of the ranks, she approached the Royal carriage - without knowing it, and asked one of the Ladies of Honour, 'Which - is the Queen?' The Queen, hearing the inquiry, immediately - answered, 'I am the Queen!' 'Oh, do show me the King, then!' The - King, hearing the request, instantly turned round, and said with - a smile, 'I am the King!' evidently enjoying her amazement and - delight. The Queen <span class="pagenum"><a id="page19" name="page19"></a>(p. 19)</span> permitted the woman to hold her hand, - which she had seized in the hurry of the moment, for several - minutes."</p> -</div> - -<p>Greville gives us a sketch of his <i lang="fr">bourgeoisie</i> and its consequences—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"All this was very well; no great harm in it; more affable, less - dignified than the late King; but, when this (a Privy Council) - was over, and he might very well have sat himself quietly down - and rested, he must needs put on his plainer clothes, and start - on a ramble about the streets, alone, too. In Pall Mall he met - Watson Taylor, and took his arm, and went up St. James's Street. - There he was followed by a mob, making an uproar, and when he got - near White's, a woman came up and kissed him. Belfast (who had - been sworn in Privy Councillor in the morning), who saw this from - White's, and Clinton, thought it time to interfere, and came out - to attend him. The mob increased, and, always holding Mr. - Taylor's arm, and flanked by Clinton and Belfast, who got shoved - and kicked about, to their inexpressible wrath, he got back to - the Palace, amid shouting and bawling and applause. When he got - home, he asked them to go in and take a quiet walk in the garden, - and said, 'Oh, never mind all this; when I have walked about a - few times they will get used to it, and take no notice.'</p> - - <p>"They even sang songs about him in the streets, of which the - following is one:—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The King and the Sailor.</span></p> - - <p>"In Portsmouth town, at the sign of the Ship,<br /> - A jolly Jack Tar sat drinking flip;<br /> - A messmate was there, who spun him a yarn<br /> - That we'd a new King, he'd soon give him to larn.</p> - - <p>"Says sailor Ben to sailor Jim,<br /> - 'He's a King and a sailor trim,<br /> - And 'bout him there's no palaver or fuss,<br /> - A cause, don't you know, he is one of us.'</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page20" name="page20"></a>(p. 20)</span> "Says sailor Ben to his messmate Jim,<br /> - 'He knows that I've sailed under him;<br /> - And when our ship's paid off at Chatham,<br /> - I'll go and have a good stare at 'em.'</p> - - <p>"Now Ben Block he arriv'd at the park,<br /> - And soon the King and Queen did mark;<br /> - Says Ben, says he, 'I'll bet you a tanner,<br /> - He hails you in a King-like manner.'</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img20.jpg" width="300" height="198" alt="" title="Sailor Ben." /> -</div> - - <p>"'Ye ho!' says Ben, and he soon brought-to,<br /> - And his boatswain's whistle out he drew;<br /> - When the King turn'd round with pride and joy,<br /> - 'Halloo!' says he 'what ship ahoy?'</p> - - <p>"Now Ben, he answered with a grin,<br /> - 'The <i>Royal Charlotte</i> I've sailed in;<br /> - She was nam'd arter your royal mother,<br /> - Whose great and glorious son you are!'</p> - - <p>The King the hand of Ben he shook,<br /> - And said, 'At that time I was a Mid;'<br /> - Then Ben lugged out his 'bacca box,<br /> - And said to the King, '<em>Come, take a quid</em>.'</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page21" name="page21"></a>(p. 21)</span> "'If you won't, the Queen may like a bit,<br /> - Mayhap, like one of the Indian squaws;'<br /> - So he scrap'd up to her, and offered his box,<br /> - 'No, thank ye,' says she, '<em>I never chaws</em>.'</p> - - <p>"The King, he gave promotion to Ben,<br /> - So he thought that he'd steer back again;<br /> - But the Queen, he thought he first would tell her,<br /> - 'That her husband, the King, was a d—d good fellow'!"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p><i lang="fr">Par parenthèse</i>, here is a story of a sailor (<cite>Times</cite>, August 9th)—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Guildhall. Before Alderman Ansley.—An old tar, the very <i lang="fr">beau - ideal</i> of a 'true British sailor,' who gave his name as <i>Will - Robinson</i>, his dark visage surmounted with a quantity of black - hair, twisted and matted like so many ropes' ends, was charged - with being drunk and assaulting the patrol of Aldgate Ward.</p> - - <p>"Bunce, the complainant, stated that between three and four - o'clock the preceding evening, he found the tar stretched keel - uppermost upon the footway in Aldersgate Street, exposed, not - altogether decently, to the gaze of a crowd of idle boys. Bunce - roused him, and advised him to move on; but, instead of obeying, - Will ordered him to sheer off, or he'd pour a broadside into him; - and, suiting the action to the word, commenced pummelling - complainant most furiously. Bunce would have had no chance - against the heavy metal of Will Robinson, but Hawkins, the - marshal-man, came up, and with his aid the tar was secured in the - Compter. While they were on the way, the tar contrived to get his - pocket-knife open in his hand, but Hawkins perceived it and took - it from him.</p> - - <p>"'You hear what the officer says?' observed the alderman, - addressing the prisoner.</p> - - <p>"'Yes; but it is a d—d lie,' roared out Will Robinson, enforcing - his assertion by a loud thump of his clenched fist upon the bar.</p> - - <p>"'He says you drew a knife upon him,' said the alderman.</p> - - <p>"'Your honour knows I can't spin a long yarn like this here - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page22" name="page22"></a>(p. 22)</span> chap,' replied the old tar, 'but I never hurted man, - woman, or child in my life, barring 'twas a frog-eater; but I was - a lad then, and it was in the cause of old England; and d—e, I - don't think I'd hurt him neither, after a glass of grog or two.'</p> - - <p>"Alderman. 'How long have you been in England?'</p> - - <p>"'Only two hours ashore, your honour,' replied Will. 'I'd just - come from China, and got taking a glass with one messmate and a - glass with another.'</p> - - <p>"Alderman. 'The sure way to get drunk. You should have taken a - glass with but one messmate.'</p> - - <p>"'Your honour is an excellent preacher, and it's all very true; - but if an old sailor, after a long voyage, when all hands are - piped ashore, refused to drink with every mate who asked him, - he'd be called a scaly fellow, and you know I should not like - that.'</p> - - <p>"Bunce. 'I did not mind the assault, but I thought it was better - to put him in a place of safety for his own sake.'</p> - - <p>"'D—e, you're an honest fellow, after all,' exclaimed the tar, - seizing the officer's hand and squeezing it till the tears - started into Bunce's eyes. 'Come, and we'll make it right over a - glass of grog, old boy.'</p> - - <p>"Alderman. 'I doubt whether you have any money left.'</p> - - <p>"Will felt in his pockets, and could not find a copper. 'All - gone! all gone!' exclaimed the tar, mournfully.</p> - - <p>"'It's all right—I've got his money safe,' said Bunce, drawing - forth an ample handful of silver and gold.</p> - - <p>"'Huzza! huzza! Old England for ever!' vociferated the delighted - tar, when he saw the money; and, seizing Bunce by the collar, - 'Come along, come along, old boy; I'm as dry as a dolphin.'</p> - - <p>"Bunce refused till he counted the money, shilling by shilling, - in the presence of the alderman; but, when he began to do so, - Will found the operation too slow for the current of his - feelings; and, catching up the officer by the waist, he carried - him off in triumph, exclaiming, 'Keep it, my boy, keep it; we'll - drink every penny of it; and maybe his honour there' (turning to - the alderman), 'would take a drop of summut.'</p> - - <p>"The alderman could not contain his gravity, but he declined the - offer; and Will set off with the officer still firmly held in his - grip."</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page23" name="page23"></a>(p. 23)</span> As a specimen of the manners of the age (and I cannot see that -they have greatly improved now), we may take the following extract -from a private letter, dated Windsor, August 15th:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"You would perceive, from the newspapers, that the Grand Terrace - was thrown open to the public yesterday week. From the walk - immediately under the castle you may see portions of the - magnificent rooms—the splendid ceilings, window drapery, and - chandeliers. I was delighted with the sight, and again visited - the terrace on Sunday. The terrace was then crowded, and I am - sorry to add, English-like, some of the people, (of the lower - class, certainly) had behaved so ill, that the public were - excluded from that part adjoining the building. Some of the - creatures who abused the privilege thus extended to the public, - not only ascended the steps leading to the state apartments, but - actually climbed up into the windows to look into the rooms, thus - intruding their rudeness on the King. It is said that his Majesty - himself, from a window, saw a person writing his name on one of - the statues, and observed on the occasion, 'I shall be compelled - to do as my brother did, exclude the public from this part, if - such conduct is continued.' The grass was all trampled and - injured, the people would not confine themselves to the gravel - walks."</p> - -<p>By the way, about this time, the King gave the Zoological Society the -whole of the collection of beasts and birds belonging to the late -King, amounting to 150.</p> - -<p>England has frequently afforded shelter to unfortunate -princes—notably, in late times, to Louis XVIII., who resided at -Hartwell, in Buckinghamshire—and now another French King, Charles X., -sought her protection, arriving at Portsmouth on <span class="pagenum"><a id="page24" name="page24"></a>(p. 24)</span> August 17th, -and proceeding to Lulworth in Dorsetshire, where he was welcomed at -the castle, which was placed at his disposal by Joseph Weld, Esq., a -relative of the cardinal of that name. Here he remained some time, -afterwards residing at Holyrood Palace, and finally retired to -Austria, where he died.</p> - -<p>On June 19, 1829, the King said "Le Roi le veult" to an Act of -Parliament (10 Geo. IV. c. 44) entitled "An Act for improving the -Police in and near the Metropolis"—the present Police Act—introduced -by Sir Robert Peel, from which fact the policemen were called -"Bobbies" and "Peelers." They commenced duty on September 29, 1829, -and were, at first, extremely unpopular, because of their strictness, -compared to the Bow Street runners, patrols, and night watchmen. The -parishes complained bitterly of the increased expense, but they forgot -how much better they were guarded. It was also alleged that there were -too few policemen distributed over certain districts, and too many in -others; but that was a defect in administration almost certain to -occur at first start, which experience afterwards rectified. Perhaps, -also, the best men were not chosen, as the force was not so popular as -now, when none but men of unblemished character are admitted, whilst -as to the present physique of the over fifteen thousand Metropolitan -Police, any general would be proud of such a division, which is -utterly unattainable in any army.</p> - -<p>Here is a sketch of the uniform of the "New <span class="pagenum"><a id="page25" name="page25"></a>(p. 25)</span> Police" as they -were called, copied from a satirical print of Sir Robert Peel, by the -celebrated H. B. (John Doyle, father of Richard Doyle, to whom <cite>Punch</cite> -owed so much). The hats were worn until a comparatively recent period, -and in summer-time they wore white trousers.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img25.jpg" width="150" height="345" alt="" title="The New Police." /> -</div> - -<p>The following extract from the <cite>Times</cite> of September 16th gives an -account of the police as they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page26" name="page26"></a>(p. 26)</span> were at the expiration of twelve -months from their inauguration:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"There are 16 divisions of the police, and each division - contains, on an average, 200 men, except the K division, which - contains 32; there are also, in each division, six inspectors and - one superintendent. The whole number of privates and sergeants - alone amounts to 3600, without reckoning the inspectors and - superintendents. The greater part of this large body of men were - necessarily taken from the lower classes of the people, and it - can readily be believed that the Commissioners were unable to - make strict inquiry into every individual case, and yet there - have been very few <i lang="la">bona fide</i> cases of improper behaviour on the - part of the men. In each division there is a defaulter-book, in - which the names of the men considered unfit for duty are written - down and shown to the Commissioners, and they are immediately - discharged."</p> - -<p>The subjoined advertisement, which is singular, from the modesty of -its diction, appeared in the <cite>Times</cite> of September 15th, and, as in the -scheme of this book there is no special place set apart for such, it -may as well come in here in order of chronology.</p> - -<p class="quote">"A youth who has completed his 18th year within 100 hours of his - writing this advertisement, wishing to make head against the <i lang="la">res - angusta domi</i>, hereby <span class="smcap">TENDERS</span> his <span class="smcap">CAPACITIES</span> to any honourable - patronage which the chapter of accidents may raise up in his - behoof. Born to better hopes, his bringing up has not been wholly - neglected, and he would fain apply some of the little items of - his unpretending culture towards honest advancement in a life - which even his short experience has proved to be not altogether - unchequered—the mind's eye irresistably glancing at an example - which recent events have revived and made too memorable to be - overlooked by such a votary to fortune as the advertiser; to wit, - the august example of King Philip the first,<a id="footnotetag6" name="footnotetag6"></a><a href="#footnote6" title="Go to footnote 6"><span class="smaller">[6]</span></a> who when, in - "the turns of chance below," even <span class="pagenum"><a id="page27" name="page27"></a>(p. 27)</span> his star was dimmed, - did not disdain to extract independent maintenance from knowledge - which, in his early days, he had learnt as mere ornament. Far - from aiming, like the variously accomplished Duke of Orleans, at - geometry, or the sublimer sciences, the humble advertiser - ventures to hope that his tolerable, hourly improving fluency in - French, Italian, and modern Greek (the latter language now become - of increased English interest from the increase of English - colonization in the Mediterranean), would enable him to give - lessons, and materially conduce to perfect pupils in each of - these branches, at most moderate remuneration. That same - Mediterranean has been the sad cause of this advertisement. - Nearly 1900 years after the prince of Latian poets wrote his - description of the storm which, all but, engulfed Æneas and his - followers—that description which, from Homer to Shakespeare, - from Shakespeare to the present hour, the universe of poetry has - never equalled—even in that very part of that very sea, a sudden - springing up of that wind, which, though the desire and delight - of northern regions, is proverbial for storms (<i lang="la">creber procellis - Africus</i>) not confined to illustrating the poet's text, in - abruptly shrouding a shipful of 'noble creatures' from the sight - of the clouds, from the face of heaven and the light of day, not - confined to a presentiment of instant death to all on shipboard, - but in rending reality, depriving every soul of clouds, of light - and life, by sinking the whole in fell ocean, without a single - survivor—the advertiser's dear father (an English functionary in - the Ionian Islands) being one of the sufferers—leaving his son a - burden, where he would be an alleviator, to the most affectionate - of mothers. A statement of other capabilities, penmanship, - arithmetic, etc., is forborne, because they may be implied. - Indeed, friends, too partial, no doubt, imagine that to any - mission, especially southward, the advertiser might be a not - ineligible appendage. At all events, he thus adventures his - speculation, trusting its result to 'the caterer for the - sparrow.'"</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page28" name="page28"></a>(p. 28)</span> CHAPTER IV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1830.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway — Death of Mr. - Huskisson — Agricultural lawlessness — Captain Swing — Executions - for riot — Riots throughout the country — Special - Commissions — Prayer to be used in churches and chapels.</p> - -<p>About this time a melancholy but all-absorbing topic of conversation -was the death of Mr. Wm. Huskisson, one of the M.P.'s for Liverpool; -and the most succinct account I can find of this sad accident is in -the <cite>Annual Register</cite>. It happened on September 15th, at the opening -of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"On Wednesday morning, as early as seven o'clock, the people of - Liverpool were seen flocking in crowds to the tunnel in order to - secure good places for a view of the procession. The whole line - of road, for the distance of seven or eight miles out of - Liverpool, was lined by dense crowds; and several stands, to - which the public had been admitted at half a crown a head, were - completely filled. Eight of the Company's locomotive engines were - brought down to the mouth of the tunnel at about half-past nine. - The Duke of Wellington arrived about ten o'clock, and was greeted - with enthusiasm by the immense crowd. The splendid state - carriage, which had been prepared for his Grace, was taken down - the tunnel; the military band played 'See the Conquering Hero - comes;' and, in a few minutes, the Duke was drawn from the - tunnel, amid the loud cheers of the spectators.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page29" name="page29"></a>(p. 29)</span> "The procession left Liverpool twenty minutes before - eleven o'clock, drawn by eight locomotive engines, in the - following order: Northumbrian, with the directors and numerous - distinguished visitors, including the Duke of Wellington; - Phœnix, green flag; North Star, yellow; Rocket,<a id="footnotetag7" name="footnotetag7"></a><a href="#footnote7" title="Go to footnote 7"><span class="smaller">[7]</span></a> light blue; - Dart, purple; Comet, deep red; Arrow, pink; Meteor, brown; with - visitors and proprietors. On issuing from the smaller tunnel at - Liverpool, the Northumbrian took the south, or right-hand line of - railway, and drew three carriages, the first containing the band, - the second the Duke of Wellington and a number of other persons, - of distinction, and the third the directors of the railway. The - other engines proceeded along the north line.... The total number - of persons conveyed was stated to be 772. The procession did not - proceed at a pace of more than fifteen or sixteen miles an hour.</p> - - <p>"In the course of the journey, the Northumbrian accelerated or - retarded its speed occasionally, to give the Duke of Wellington - an opportunity of inspecting the most remarkable parts of the - work.</p> - - <p>"Before starting from Liverpool, the company were particularly - requested not to leave the carriages, and the same caution was - repeated in the printed directions describing the order of the - procession. Notwithstanding this regulation, Mr. Huskisson, Mr. - William Holmes, M.P., and other gentlemen, alighted when the - Northumbrian stopped at Parkside. On the stoppage of the - Northumbrian at Parkside Bridge, Mr. Huskisson, as well as many - others, got out, and Mr. Holmes, for the purpose of bringing Mr. - Huskisson and the Duke together, and of producing a renewed good - feeling between them, led Mr. Huskisson round to that part of the - car where the Duke was stationed, who, perceiving the advance of - the right hon. gentleman, immediately held out his hand to him, - which was shaken in a very cordial manner. It was almost at this - moment that the Rocket was perceived to be on the advance, and a - general move took place to get out of its way, several persons - calling out, 'Get in! get in!'</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page30" name="page30"></a>(p. 30)</span> "Some followed this advice, scrambling up as best they - might in the absence of the steps. Others made their way round to - the end of the car, and Mr. Huskisson appeared to be acting under - the idea of crossing the Rocket's railway before the engine came - up; from this, however, he was deterred by the steepness of the - bank beyond.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Holmes, who was standing in the same situation as the right - hon. gentleman, took his resolution on the instant, and drew - himself up as closely as he could against the side of the ducal - car. The intervening space between the railways is exactly four - feet, but as the ducal car overhung it about two feet, and the - Rocket engine about six inches, there was only a clear space of - eighteen inches left—sufficient, however, to enable a person to - stand without injury or damage.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Holmes, whilst thus affixing himself in this manner to the - ducal car, had time to perceive the irresolution of the right - hon. gentleman, and he called out to him, 'For God's sake, be - firm, Mr. Huskisson.' Mr. Huskisson grasped hold of the door of - the ducal carriage the moment before the Rocket passed; this - door, when open, projected so far over the neighbouring railway, - that it was struck by the Rocket; the consequence was, that it - swung rapidly round, overbalanced Mr. Huskisson, and caused him - to fall on the railway of the Rocket, when his right leg - instantly came in contact with the wheel of the engine, and was - crushed.</p> - - <p>"The Earl of Wilton, Mr. Holmes, and Mr. Parkes, solicitor of - Birmingham, raised Mr. Huskisson from the ground. The only words - he uttered at the time were to this effect, 'I have met my death. - God forgive me.' The first thing that was done was to twist a - handkerchief (in the manner of a tourniquet) tightly round the - wounded parts of the limb, for the purpose of stopping the - effusion of blood; and, the Northumbrian being detached from the - carriages, it was sent forward, with the greatest possible speed, - to Eccles, with Mr. Huskisson, the Earl of Wilton, Mr. - Stephenson, and two medical gentlemen. A consultation was next - held by the party at Newton, as to the course best to be adopted - under these melancholy circumstances.</p> - - <p>"The Duke of Wellington was very desirous that the procession - should be stopped and return to Liverpool. After some - consultation, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page31" name="page31"></a>(p. 31)</span> however, this proposal was relinquished, - and it was finally agreed to proceed with the ceremony of opening - the railway, to prevent, in some degree, the alarm and - disappointment which must otherwise have been occasioned to the - vast multitudes who thronged this end of the railway. The - carriages of the Duke and the directors were consequently - attached to those which accompanied the Phœnix engine, and in - this manner the whole proceeded at a slow pace to Eccles, where a - stoppage took place, while the Duke and his friends made inquiry - respecting the condition of Mr. Huskisson. The Northumbrian, - which had, by this time, arrived from Manchester with Mr. Ransome - and other surgeons, was then re-attached to the Duke's carriage, - etc., and the whole proceeded in the order originally agreed - upon, to Manchester. The Northumbrian, with the Duke and - directors, arrived in front of the warehouses about a quarter - before three, but the other engines and carriages, did not arrive - till some time afterwards.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Huskisson and the party who accompanied him, arrived at the - Vicarage of Eccles about half-past one o'clock. A couch was - carried to the railway, upon which he was placed, and in a - reclining position, he was removed into the drawing-room of the - Vicarage. A bed was immediately prepared for his accommodation; - but the pain which he endured was so severe, that he could not be - carried to it, and he remained upon the couch until the moment of - his death.</p> - - <p>"On arriving at the Vicarage, the surgeon found Mr. Huskisson in - a state of extreme suffering, but remarkably composed, and - exhibiting extraordinary firmness of mind. The bones of the leg - were broken into small pieces, and a considerable wound was - visible on the skin and muscles. The thigh bone, above the middle - part, was also broken into several fragments, and the muscles - were laid bare high up the thigh, exposing the principal nerves - and blood-vessels. The professional gentlemen decided that it was - impossible to adventure upon the amputation of the limb. The - sufferings of the patient, during the few hours he survived, were - most acute. Every now and then groans of the deepest agony were - extorted from him by the intensity of the pain which he was - enduring; there were, however, no screams, no murmurings against - the dispensations of Providence; but <span class="pagenum"><a id="page32" name="page32"></a>(p. 32)</span> every symptom of the - most manly courage, the most unshrinking fortitude, and the most - Christian resignation.</p> - - <p>"In the course of the evening, when Mr. Blackburne, the Vicar, in - reading the Lord's Prayer to him, came to the clause, 'forgive us - our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us,' Mr. - Huskisson said, in a firm and distinct tone of voice, 'That I do, - most heartily; and I declare to God that I have not the slightest - feeling of ill-will to any human being.' The Sacrament was, - subsequently, administered to him and Mrs. Huskisson. He did not - make any allusion, or send any remembrance, to his political - friends. He showed a natural anxiety for the preservation of his - character as a Statesman. 'The country,' said he, 'has had the - best of me. I trust that it will do justice to my public - character. I regret not the few years which might have remained - to me, except for those dear ones,' added he, grasping Mrs. - Huskisson's hand, and looking with affectionate regret upon her - dejected countenance, 'whom I leave behind me.' He dictated a - codicil to his will, which was drawn up by Mr. Wainwright, his - secretary, and witnessed by the Earl of Wilton, and Lords - Granville and Colvill. On the day following his death, an inquest - was held on his body, the verdict of which was, 'Accidental - death.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>He was buried at Liverpool on September 24th, receiving a magnificent -funeral, in the presence of about twenty thousand people.</p> - -<p>Now began a reign of agricultural lawlessness, and first at Otmoor in -Oxfordshire, which arose from the draining and enclosing of some two -thousand acres, over which seven neighbouring townships had right of -common. The land was of little value, being very marshy, and a proper -Act of Parliament had been obtained for its reclamation, which was -partially effected, when the commoners rose, and set about destroying -fences, embankments, etc. Two regiments <span class="pagenum"><a id="page33" name="page33"></a>(p. 33)</span> of yeomanry were sent -to put down the uprising, and, after the Riot Act was read, some sixty -prisoners were made. These were put into waggons and carts, and taken -to Oxford, there to be lodged in gaol. But St. Giles's fair happened -to be on at Oxford, and the country folk there assembled fell upon the -yeomanry and rescued the captives; only temporarily, however, for a -detachment of soldiers was afterwards sent down by Government, and -many of the rioters were apprehended.</p> - -<p>This was only the outcome of an ignorant population, who fancied they -were being deprived of their ancient rights, whereas it was really -done for their benefit, and would hardly merit notice did it not show -the uneasiness of the agricultural mind at this period. Captain Swing -was abroad, and the red glow of rick-burning was spreading through the -land, notably, at that time, in Kent. The very next paragraph in the -<cite>Times</cite> of September 8th, to the account of the Otmoor riots, is about -alarming incendiary fires at Orpington and its neighbourhood, in which -barns and outhouses, stacks of corn and hay, were destroyed. Nay, the -miscreants did not stop there. They attempted to terrorize by means of -anonymous letters, in which not only the burning of more property was -threatened, but the destruction of house, owner, and family.</p> - -<p>Sometimes, but not often, the wretches were caught, and then little -mercy was shown them, as in a case in Somersetshire, where the High -Sheriff <span class="pagenum"><a id="page34" name="page34"></a>(p. 34)</span> hanged three men convicted of this offence, on gallows -erected on the spot where the crime had been committed, the gallows -bearing an inscription in large letters, so that all might read: "For -Firing Stacks." Over fifteen thousand people witnessed this execution.</p> - -<p>Several men were arrested as being Captain Swing, whose signature was -always attached to the threatening notices; but there is every reason -to believe that no such entity existed. Here is his fancy portrait, -drawn by Heath, entitled "Swing! taken from the life. Dedicated to -Messrs. Cobbett, Carlisle and Co."</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img34.jpg" width="350" height="402" alt="" title="Captain Swing." /> -</div> - -<p>To show somewhat of the terrorism of this name <span class="pagenum"><a id="page35" name="page35"></a>(p. 35)</span> at that time, -I quote from the <cite>Kentish Gazette</cite> of October 9th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Anonymous letters, signed 'Swing,' have been received by post, - by two individuals at Dover, threatening the destruction of their - premises by fire, which has caused great alarm in their families. - The dead walls, all through the town, and for some miles on the - road to Canterbury, all bear the same significant word 'Swing,' - written in chalk."</p> - -<p>The newspapers of the day teem with notices of outrages, particularly -during the last three months of the year. A very good and terse -account of these agricultural riots is in the <cite>Annual Register</cite>, pp. -149, 150.</p> - -<p class="quote">"The disturbances began in Kent. The rioters did not assume the - character of disorderly mobs, nor did they profess to seek any - political objects. They appeared, at first, as lurking - incendiaries, and wreaked their vengeance on property, the - destruction of which could only aggravate the causes of their - misery. Night after night, new conflagrations were lighted up by - bands of incendiaries; corn stacks, barns, farm buildings, live - stock, were consumed indiscriminately. Bolder bands attacked - mills, and demolished the machinery; and all threshing-machines, - in particular, were condemned. Threatening letters were - circulated, demanding the raising of wages, or the disuse of the - machinery; and the nightly exploits of the writers insured - attention to their demands. The first of the rioters who were - seized, and tried before the County Magistrates, were treated - with undue lenity. Commiseration for starving labourers was - commendable; but it could not be want which induced men to - destroy the materials of food. During October, November, and - December, but more particularly the two former months, it made - its way from Kent into the counties of Hants, Wilts, Bucks, - Sussex, and Surrey. Throughout the whole of that district of the - country, all protection for property seemed to be at an end. - Bands of rioters pillaged and destroyed during <span class="pagenum"><a id="page36" name="page36"></a>(p. 36)</span> the day; - and, as soon as night fell, simultaneous conflagrations, starting - up in different quarters, spread over the country havoc and - dismay. The military force in the disturbed counties was - increased, a proclamation was issued offering a reward of £500 - for the conviction of any person engaged in the fire raisings; - and a Special Commission was ordered to proceed into the Shires - where the outrages were committed."</p> - -<p>These Special Commissions were held in December, and many were the -sentences of death recorded against the worst of the rioters, although -but few were carried out. The first victims to the outraged majesty of -the law were three men, found guilty at the Maidstone Assizes, who -were hanged for arson on Penenden Heath. Nor was it only by the strong -arm of the law that order was attempted to be restored, the help of -the Almighty was also invoked in furtherance of that end. A supplement -to the <cite>Gazette</cite> of the 24th of December, contained an Order in -Council, that the Archbishop of Canterbury do prepare forms of prayer -to Almighty God, on account of the troubled state of certain parts of -the United Kingdom; and another for reading the same in all the -Episcopal Churches and Chapels in England and Scotland. In consequence -of this Order, a form of prayer was issued, which the curious in those -things may read in the <cite>Times</cite> of December 28th, to be used -immediately before the Litany, and when the Litany was not read, -before the prayer for all conditions of men, in all cathedrals, -collegiate and parochial churches and chapels in England and Ireland.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page37" name="page37"></a>(p. 37)</span> CHAPTER V.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1830.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Duke of Wellington mobbed and stoned — Owing to riots, the King - postponed his visit to the city — No Lord Mayor's show, nor - dinner — Riots in the city — Apsley House besieged — Ireland - proclaimed — Ferment in the country — Change of Ministry — Royal - succession — Scotch regalia — Curious story of a bank-note.</p> - -<p>Rioting was not confined to the country. The cry of parliamentary -reform was exciting the great towns, and especially London. On -November 2nd, when the King went to open Parliament, the Duke of -Wellington was mobbed in the Park, and struck on the cheek with a -stone. The King and Queen were going to dine at Guildhall on Lord -Mayor's day, November 9th, and all was prepared for the banquet, but, -on the 7th, the Duke of Wellington received the following letter:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p>"<span class="smcap">My Lord Duke</span>,</p> - - <p>"From the situation of Lord Mayor, to which I have been elected, - numberless communications have been made to me, both personally - and by letter, in reference to the 9th, and it is on that account - that I take the liberty of addressing your Grace.</p> - - <p>"Although the feelings of the respectable citizens of London are - decidedly loyal, yet it cannot but be known that there are, both - in London, as well as the country, a set of desperate and - abandoned characters who are anxious to avail themselves of any - circumstance to create tumult and confusion. While all of any - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page38" name="page38"></a>(p. 38)</span> respectability in the city are vieing with each other to - testify their loyalty on the occasion; from what I learn, it is - the intention of some of the desperate characters above - mentioned, to take the opportunity of making an attack on your - Grace's person, on your approach to the Hall. Every exertion on - my part shall be used to make the best possible arrangements in - the City; and, at the same time, I feel that, should any violent - attack be made in one quarter, any civil force alone might not be - sufficiently effectual; and I should not be doing my duty, after - what I have heard, did I not take the liberty of suggesting to - your Grace the propriety of coming strongly and sufficiently - guarded.</p> - - <p>"I probably may be considered as giving you needless trouble, but - the respect which I, as well as every person who really wishes - the welfare of the country, must have for your Grace, and the - gratitude we owe you, has induced me to adopt this course.</p> - -<p>"I have, etc.</p> -<p class="signa">"(Signed) <span class="smcap">John Key</span>,<br /> - "Lord Mayor Elect."</p> -</div> - -<p>Other communications to a similar effect were made to the Ministers; -and in the evening of the 7th the following letter was received by the -Lord Mayor, from Sir Robert Peel:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p>"<span class="smcap">My Lord</span>,</p> - - <p>"I am commanded by the King to inform your Lordship, that his - Majesty's confidential servants have felt it to be their duty to - advise the King to postpone the visit which their Majesties - intended to pay the City of London on Tuesday next. From - information which has been recently received, there is reason to - apprehend that, notwithstanding the devoted loyalty and affection - borne to his Majesty by the citizens of London, advantage would - be taken of an occasion which must necessarily assemble a vast - number of persons by night, to create tumult and confusion, and - thereby to endanger the properties and the lives of his subjects. - It would be a source of deep and lasting concern to their - Majesties were any calamity to occur on the occasion of their - visit to the City of London, and their Majesties have therefore - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page39" name="page39"></a>(p. 39)</span> resolved, though not without the greatest reluctance and - regret, to forego, for the present, the satisfaction which that - visit would have afforded to their Majesties.</p> - -<p>"I have the honour to be, my Lord,</p> -<p class="center">"Your obedient servant,</p> -<p class="signa">"<span class="smcap">Robert Peel</span>."</p> -</div> - -<p>A deputation from the committee appointed to superintend the -entertainment waited upon his Majesty's ministers three times on -Tuesday; and the Duke of Wellington plainly told them that there was -but one of two courses to be adopted—the postponement of the visit, -or the alternative of bringing a large body of military into the City.</p> - -<p>The effect of Sir Robert Peel's letter upon the minds of the citizens -was beyond description. Men hastened to purchase arms, and to secure -the fastenings of their houses, as if there was going to be an armed -rebellion. On the 8th, consols fell three per cent. in about an hour -and a half, whilst the streets were choked with busy crowds, listening -to and spreading all sorts of alarming rumours. The prevailing one was -that it was intended to allow the procession to return to the -Guildhall unmolested, but that, in the evening, the passage of Temple -Bar and the bridges should have been barricaded, the gas-pipes cut -off, and, under the cloud of darkness, an indiscriminate plunder of -the City take place.</p> - -<p>The new Lord Mayor proclaimed that neither the usual procession, nor -the banquet would take place, and, accordingly, there were neither -this year. And <span class="pagenum"><a id="page40" name="page40"></a>(p. 40)</span> well it was that it was so, for there would -assuredly have been a riot; as it was, it was bad enough, as we see -from the following account taken from the <cite>Annual Register</cite>:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Both on Monday and on Tuesday (8th and 9th November) the streets - of the Metropolis were unusually crowded, and a considerable - degree of excitement prevailed. On Monday night a meeting was - held at the Rotunda, in Blackfriars Road, at which Mr. Hunt - presided as Chairman. It did not terminate till half-past eleven - o'clock, when Hunt retired. The instant he left the meeting, an - individual exposed a tri-coloured flag, with 'Reform' painted - upon it; and a cry of 'Now for the West End,' was instantly - raised. This seemed to act as a signal, evidently preconcerted, - as the individuals composing the meeting, one and all, assented, - and sallied forth in a body, the individual unfurling the - tri-coloured flag.</p> - - <p>"They then proceeded over the bridge, in numbers amounting to - about a thousand, shouting as they passed along, 'Reform!' 'Down - with the Police!' 'No Peel!' 'No Wellington!' In their route they - were joined by others, and in this manner they proceeded through - Fleet Street and the Strand. The Adelphi theatre was closing, and - the audience about to leave, when, the shouts of the mob being - heard, the doors were instantly closed, and the audience were - kept in the house till they had passed. As they proceeded, they - were joined by a considerable number of notoriously bad - characters, who were very loud in their exclamations against the - police.</p> - - <p>"The mob first proceeded into Downing Street, where they formed - themselves into a line immediately in the front of the residence - of Earl Bathurst. A gentleman in the house, hearing the tumult, - presented himself at the balcony, armed with a brace of pistols, - and, addressing the mob, warned them against committing any - illegal act, declaring that he would fire upon the first man that - attempted to enter the house. Yells and groans followed this - declaration, and a cry of 'Go it, go it!' was raised by the mob. - At this moment, another gentleman came out on the balcony, and - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page41" name="page41"></a>(p. 41)</span> took the pistols out of his hands, upon which the mob - gave loud cheers.</p> - - <p>"A strong body of the new police arrived from Scotland Yard, and - formed themselves into a line at the end of King Street to - prevent the mob from going to the House of Commons, where they - intended to proceed. A general fight now ensued, in which the new - police were assisted by several respectable-looking men, who used - every endeavour to put the mob to the rout. In the skirmish many - received broken heads, and the flag was captured. Inspector - Lincoln of the E division arrived with a body of seventy men, and - an equal number of the B division also came up, when the mob, - seeing the reinforcement, took to flight in all directions, and - the most perfect quietude succeeded. Three of the most desperate - of the rioters were arrested, and carried to the watch house in - the Almonry, Westminster. A reinforcement of the Royal Horse - Guards, blue, were mounted in the yard of the Horse Guards, and - remained there during the night, and extra policemen, in bodies, - paraded the streets.</p> - - <p>"At an early hour in the morning of Tuesday, the new police were - called out in considerable numbers, and, by five o'clock in the - evening, a double row flanked the edges of either pavements, on - the Westminster side of Temple Bar, for a considerable distance. - This precaution was not taken without occasion, for, before this - period, a dense mob had collected within Temple Bar, in order to - see the preparations there made for an illumination. It was, at - last, found necessary, at a late hour in the afternoon, to employ - workmen in removing the temporary gas-pipes by which the lighting - up was intended to have been effected, lest any of the mob should - clamber the Bar, and communicate light to the various gas - orifices.</p> - - <p>"As soon as the workmen arrived for this purpose, a body of - vagabonds ran through the avenues into Westminster, and - endeavoured to excite alarm by cries of 'Fire! Fire!' A large - body of the police were drawn up, about six o'clock, in the open - space leading to Waterloo Bridge, and similar precautions were - taken in other parts of Westminster.</p> - - <p>"About half-past five, the refuse of the mob, which at an early - hour had assembled in the City, proceeded along the Strand, in a - body of between three and four hundred, consisting principally - of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page42" name="page42"></a>(p. 42)</span> boys of the lowest description, vociferating 'No - Peel—down with the raw lobsters!' and other expressions of a - similar tendency. On arriving at Catherine Street, they rushed up - it, headed by a youth about sixteen, who cheered on the throng - with 'This way, my lads—we'll give it them.' A temporary halt - was made at the corner of York Street; the mob then proceeded - down York Street, through Maiden Lane, Chandos Street, Hemming's - Row, to the rear of the Menagerie, at Charing Cross; the whole of - them yelling, shouting, groaning, and breaking windows in their - progress. A strong body of the E division now rushed upon them, - and dealt out severe blows with their staves on the heads and - arms of the mob. The captain of the gang was the first to - retreat; and the rioters were completely dispersed. At seven - o'clock the end of Fleet Street, by Temple Bar, was nearly - impassable, and the mob, who extended beyond the pathways, so as - to leave barely room for a coach to pass, demanded from each - passenger or coachman, as a passport, that he should pull off his - hat and shout 'Huzzah!'</p> - - <p>"The City side of Temple Bar was in a very tumultuous state. - Stones were repeatedly thrown thence upon the police stationed on - the Westminster side. Attempts were also made to close the gates, - and several rushes upon the police were made from within. Mr. - Brown, the Marshal, insisted upon having the control of the gate, - as belonging to the City, and caused it to be instantly opened, - which produced loud cheering among the mob, and the cry of 'The - City police for ever!' They soon, however, lost their popularity, - by opposing the passage of the mob through the gate; and Mr. - Brown received a severe wound upon the head, in attempting to - disarm the rioters. The other City officers were also roughly - handled. The mob forced their way, but returned soon afterwards, - and went quietly through the City. The police were afterwards - withdrawn to a passage leading out of Picket Place into Newcastle - Court; and conflicts took place between them and the mob, in - which many on both sides received serious injuries. The mob, who - appeared afraid to venture outside the gates of Temple Bar, - amused themselves with throwing stones and large pieces of wood - among the police in Picket Place; they obtained these missiles - from the New Law Institution in Chancery Lane, the scaffold of - which was broken down and carried off, amidst loud cheers.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page43" name="page43"></a>(p. 43)</span> "In the course of the evening, another mob, of between - four and five hundred persons, proceeded along Piccadilly, and, - in a smart trot, made their way to Apsley House, the residence of - the Duke of Wellington; hallooing, and bestowing the usual - expression of disapprobation on the Duke, Mr. Peel, and the - police. On their reaching the end of Piccadilly, they were met - with a strong force of the D division of police, who succeeded in - dispersing them in different directions, without any serious - accident to either party. At eleven o'clock, Piccadilly and the - whole of the West End, from the bottom of the Haymarket upwards, - was in an undisturbed state; but the police, in number between - four and five hundred, were drawn up in Spring Gardens, ready to - act, should necessity require them to do so. Frequent - communications took place from the different station-houses to - the head-quarters at Scotland Yard, and the men employed as - messengers upon this occasion were attired in plain clothes, the - better to facilitate their progress, and prevent them from being - attacked.</p> - - <p>"Several parties of ill-disposed persons, many of whom were boys, - paraded the streets in Bethnal Green, Spitalfields, and - Whitechapel, for the purpose of creating a riot, but were - disappointed. One party, more formidable than the rest, passed by - Worship Street Office into Church Street, Spitalfields, where - they demolished the gas lamp and some windows at the police - station there, and, afterwards, those of a Mr. Chapple, a - fruiterer; thence they took a circuit round Bethnal Green, and - returned into the City without committing further mischief. The - magistrates were the whole evening in attendance at the different - offices. As early as six o'clock, the shops in St. Paul's - Churchyard, Ludgate Hill, and Fleet Street, were completely - closed, in consequence of the number of men assembled. The City - police in motion in the course of the day amounted to from five - hundred to six hundred men, including the firemen, ticket - porters, and tackle porters."</p> -</div> - -<p>The whole country was in a state of ferment. In Ireland, the feeling -for repeal of the Union was so strong, that the Duke of -Northumberland, as Lord Lieutenant, issued a proclamation putting in -force <span class="pagenum"><a id="page44" name="page44"></a>(p. 44)</span> the Act (10 George IV. c. 1) entitled, "An Act for the -Suppression of dangerous Associations or Assemblies in Ireland." And -the <cite>Leeds Intelligencer</cite> (quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of October 23rd) -says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We observe that fears are expressed in some of the Metropolitan - papers, that disturbances are on the point of breaking out in the - North. It was reported in the City, on Monday afternoon, the - <cite>Standard</cite> tells us, 'that a reinforcement of troops had been - demanded for Cumberland, in consequence of symptoms of - dissatisfaction having appeared among the colliers. Two - regiments, they state, are to start from Portsmouth. Artillery, - also, it is said, has been ordered from Woolwich, on Friday, for - the North. The state of the collieries and manufacturing - districts in that part of England is alarming.' Our information - does not at all bear out this alarming statement. Except some - Radical demonstrations at Carlisle, such as threats, political - nocturnal trainings, and a supposed secret preparation of - pikes—young trees having been cut down in various places—we - hear of nothing which should cause a sudden movement of troops. - Certain, however, it is, that an augmentation of force is taking - place in the North. The detachment of artillery stationed in - Leeds for about a year past, marched for Newcastle on Monday - morning."</p> - -<p>Space prevents my giving any more about the riotous state of the -country during this year, exception only being made to the following -excerpt from the "Greville Memoirs":—</p> - -<p class="quote">"December 1.—The last two or three days have produced no - remarkable outrages, and, though the state of the country is - still dreadful, it is rather better on the whole, than it was; - but London is like the capital of a country desolated by cruel - war, or foreign invasion, and we are always looking for reports - of battles, burnings, and other disorders. Wherever there has - been anything like fighting, the mob has always been beaten, and - has shown the greatest cowardice. They do not, however, seem to - have been <span class="pagenum"><a id="page45" name="page45"></a>(p. 45)</span> actuated by a very ferocious spirit; and, - considering the disorders of the times, it is remarkable that - they have not been more violent and rapacious. Lord Craven, who - is just of age, with three or four more young Lords, his friends, - defeated and dispersed them in Hampshire. They broke into the - Duke of Beaufort's house at Heythrop, but he and his sons got - them out without mischief, and, afterwards, took some of them. On - Monday, as the field which had been out with the King's hounds - were returning to town, they were summoned to assist in quelling - a riot at Woburn, which they did; the gentlemen charged and broke - the people, and took some of them; and, fortunately, some troops - came up to secure the prisoners. The alarm, however, still - continues, and a feverish anxiety about the future universally - prevails, for no man can foresee what course events will take, - nor how his own individual circumstances may be affected by - them."</p> - -<p>The Houses of Parliament were dissolved on July 23rd, and re-assembled -on October 26th. On November 15th, the Ministry were defeated over the -Civil List by a majority of twenty-nine, and on the next day the Duke -of Wellington and Sir Robert Peel resigned, and were succeeded by a -Ministry, at the head of which was Earl Grey. On the 15th, the Lord -Chancellor (Lord Lyndhurst) moved the appointment of a Regency in case -of the death of the King before the Princess Victoria arrived at the -age of eighteen. He said that the Bill which he was about to propose, -provided that, in the event of a posthumous child, her Majesty the -Queen should be guardian and regent during the minority; and that her -Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent should be guardian and regent -during the minority of the Princess Victoria; subject to be superseded -in the regency, in the case of the birth of a posthumous child. An -amendment was <span class="pagenum"><a id="page46" name="page46"></a>(p. 46)</span> afterwards introduced, to the effect that the -Princess Victoria should not marry, while a minor, without the consent -of the King; or, in the event of his death, without the consent of -both Houses of Parliament; and that, if the Duchess of Kent, while -regent, married a foreigner, she should lose the regency. This Bill -became law on December 23rd, and is know as 1 Gul. IV. c. 2.</p> - -<p>In December, the King sent to Scotland, for the purpose of being -deposited with the regalia, in the Crown-room of Edinburgh Castle, a -beautiful massive gold collar of the Garter, with rose diamond and -enamelled George, left to the King (George IV.) by Cardinal York, the -last of the royal line of Stuarts; and an ancient rose diamond badge -of St. Andrew, and a sapphire ring, set round with brilliants, being -Charles the First's coronation ring. The former of these jewels (which -weighs about three pounds), was presented to James VI. by his queen, -and was worn by that monarch.</p> - -<p>I wind up the year with a very curious story of a bank-note. The -<cite>Carlisle Patriot</cite> quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of December 29, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We mentioned in our last that a £5 Bank of England note had been - received by a mercantile house in Liverpool, on the back of which - were written the following words: 'If this note gets into the - hand of John Dean, of Long Hills, near Carlisle, his brother - Andrew is a prisoner in Algiers.' The paragraph was read by a - person in Carlisle, who knew Andrew Dean, and is acquainted with - his brother, John Dean's, family, who are residing at Longtown. - John Dean's son was in Carlisle on Thursday last, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page47" name="page47"></a>(p. 47)</span> - heard of the paragraph from the person above alluded to; he - called at this office, in company with a friend, and, from what - he related of his uncle, there is every reason to believe that he - is the Andrew Dean, whose imprisonment in a distant country has, - by this singular means, been made known to his friends in - England. Andrew Dean, it appears, was formerly in the British - navy, which he left some time ago, and settled in business in - Algiers. Communications will be made to the Liverpool house, and - also to Sir James Graham (First Lord of the Admiralty), to ask - his assistance in the interesting inquiry."</p> - -<p>I can trace no more about it; but it was pointed out that the -Ironmongers' Company has a fund of enormous amount, purposely reserved -for the liberation of captives in Barbary.</p> - -<p>Here are some bonnets and fashions worn in 1830. Two walking dresses, -one evening, and one ball dress.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img47.jpg" width="350" height="392" alt="" title="Hats." /> -</div> - -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page48" name="page48"></a>(p. 48)</span> -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img48.jpg" width="350" height="544" alt="" title="Hats." /> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page49" name="page49"></a>(p. 49)</span> CHAPTER VI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1831.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Incendiary fires — Captain Swing — The result of Cobbett's - lectures — Special Commission — Prosecution of Carlile — Election - expenses — List of Close boroughs — Collapse of Reform Bill — The - King stoned — <i lang="fr">Debût</i> of Princess Victoria — The <cite>Times</cite> and the - House of Lords — Bribery at elections — Action for libel — "The King - <i>v.</i> Cobbett" — Prince Leopold made King of the Belgians.</p> - -<p>"The Red Cock" still crowed, and incendiary fires were still the order -of the day, in spite of the commissions to examine the numerous -prisoners in several counties. Captain Swing was rampant, and his -letters, if not always logical, as in the following instance, were -very numerous. The <cite>Exeter Gazette</cite>, quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of January -3rd, says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The following 'Swing' letter is the most ingenious commentary - which we have met with on the present infatuated attempts to - destroy machinery. Here is a fellow threatening the life of a - respectable person, because he is the means of reducing the - number of water-carriers, and supplies the inhabitants with a - quantity of that prime necessary of life, on terms cheaper than - they could obtain it from the moveable reservoirs which convey - some fifty or sixty gallons at a time round the town, at the rate - of a halfpenny a pailfull. The climax of the joke is the threat - which it holds out, of burning the Waterworks!</p> - - <p class="p2">"'<span class="smcap">Golsworthy.</span>—This is to inform you that you and your waterworks - being the pest of the City of Exeter, not only by taking the - bread out of the mouths of the poor watermen, but by your <span class="pagenum"><a id="page50" name="page50"></a>(p. 50)</span> - overbearance and pride, this is to inform you that if you do not - destroy that vile machine of yours, in 9 days, it shall be burnt - to the ground; and, further, if you neglect this notice, you - shall not only have your property burnt, but a mark shall be made - of your body.</p> - -<p>"'From your deadly enemy,</p> -<p class="signa">"'<span class="smcap">Swing</span>.</p> - - <p>"'Neglect not this, or you will know the weight of lead.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>Cobbett's lectures and writings undoubtedly influenced the minds of -the ignorant agricultural labourer, and one man, under sentence of -death for incendiarism at Battle, wrote the following confession:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"I, Thomas Goodman, once herd of one Mr. Cobbit going a Bout - gaveing out lactuers; at length he came to Battel and gave one - their, and there was a gret number of Peopel came to hear him and - i went: he had A verry long conversation concerning the states of - the country, and telling them that they war verrey much impose - upon, and he said he would show them the way to gain their rights - and liberals, and he said it would be very Proper for every man - to keep gun in his house, espesely young men, and that they might - prepare themselves in readyness to go with him when he called on - them, and he would show them wich way to go on, and he said the - peopel might expect fire as well as other places.—this is the - truth and nothing But the truth of A deying man.</p> - -<p class="signa">"<span class="smcap">Thomas Goodman.</span>"</p> -</div> - -<p>There was a very curious case connected with these agrarian riots, -which occurred at the Special Commission at Salisbury, where Isaac -Locker was indicted for sending a threatening letter to John Rowland, -in these words—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Mr. Rowland, Haxford Farm.—Hif you goes to sware <span class="pagenum"><a id="page51" name="page51"></a>(p. 51)</span> - against or a man in prisson, you have here farm burnt down to - ground, and thy bluddy head chopt off."</p> - -<p>Some evidence was produced to show that the prisoner, in his -conversation, had justified the machine-breakers and fire-raisers, and -that the magistrates and military, who disturbed the proceedings of -the mobs, were the only breakers of the peace; but the case turned on -the question, whether the letter was in the handwriting of the -prisoner. Locker was found <em>guilty</em>, and the judge, in spite of the -man's asseverations of his innocence, sentenced him to transportation -for life.</p> - -<p>The judge and jury retired for some refreshment, and in their absence, -the man's son, Edward Locker, came forward and declared that he had -written that and other letters. The judge expressed his surprise that -this evidence had not been brought before him previously, and -proceeded to try the prisoner on two similar indictments, when his son -got into the witness box and testified that the letters were in his -handwriting. The trial ended in the father's acquittal on those two -counts, and the judge said that he would lose no time in getting the -former conviction and sentenced quashed. An indictment was immediately -prepared, and found against the son, to which he pleaded guilty, and -was sentenced to transportation for seven years.</p> - -<p>The Special Commission ended its labours on the 15th of January, -having hanged many rioters, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page52" name="page52"></a>(p. 52)</span> sentenced very many more to -long terms of transportation.</p> - -<p>Besides Cobbett, there was a noted atheist, named Richard Carlile, who -is still looked upon as a persecuted martyr by Freethinkers. On the -10th of January, he was indicted at the Old Bailey for having written -and published two seditious libels—one tending to bring the Crown -into disrepute, and the other, which was addressed to the insurgent -agricultural labourers, tending to produce an insurrection among the -labouring and agricultural population. He was acquitted on the first, -but found guilty on the second count, and he was sentenced to pay a -fine to the King of £200, be imprisoned in the Compter of the City for -the space of two years, and at the expiration of that time, to find -sureties for ten years to come, himself in £500, and two sureties in -£250 each, and to be imprisoned until such fine was paid, and such -sureties provided.</p> - -<p>The question of the reform of Parliament was now taken in hand -seriously, and it was not before it was needed. The expenses attendant -on elections were something enormous. The <cite>Leeds Mercury</cite>, quoted in -the <cite>Times</cite> of August 30, 1830, speaking of the county of Yorkshire, -says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At the great contested Election of 1807 the expenses of the - three candidates amounted to a quarter of a million—and, at the - Election for 1826, when there was no contest, but only a - preparation for one, the four candidates had to pay £150,000."</p> - -<p>An example of how the money went may be <span class="pagenum"><a id="page53" name="page53"></a>(p. 53)</span> found in the election -bills of the Hon. S. Wortley, in contesting Forfarshire, in 1830. One -dinner bill is thus—</p> - -<table class="toc" summary="Dinner bill."> -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">£</td> -<td class="td_right"><i>s.</i></td> -<td class="td_right"><i>d.</i></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>Ginger beer, 6/-; Brandy, 20/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Champagne, £20; Claret, £21</td> -<td class="td_right">41</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Gin, 20/-; Ale, 16/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">16</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Brandy Toddy, £2; Gin Toddy, £1</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Dinner, £4 10/-; Madeira, £17 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">22</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">£69</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>And here is one of his tavern bills.</p> - -<table summary="Tavern bill."> -<colgroup> -<col width="5%" /> -<col width="5%" /> -<col width="5%" /> -<col width="50%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -</colgroup> - -<tr> -<td colspan="7" class="center">"The Hon. S. Wortley to John Morrison.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="3" class="center">1830.</td> -<td><span class="add2em"> </span></td> -<td class="td_right">£</td> -<td class="td_right"><i>s.</i></td> -<td class="td_right"><i>d.</i></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>July</td> -<td class="center">21.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>The Dinner above mentioned</td> -<td class="td_right">69</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">22.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £13; Gin, 12/-</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -<td class="td_right">12</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Brandy</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">15</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">23.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Whisky Toddy, 10/-; Brandy Toddy, 18/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">8</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">24.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Claret, £9 10/-; Champagne, £10</td> -<td class="td_right">19</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">26.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Supper, £1; Brandy, 10/-; Gin 12/-</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Gin Toddy, 20/-; Whisky Toddy, 16/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">16</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £12 10/-; Claret, £13</td> -<td class="td_right">25</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">27.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Brandy Toddy, 18/-; Gin Toddy, 20/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Sherry, £5 2/-; Port, £4 16/-</td> -<td class="td_right">9</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">28.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £8 10/-; Whisky Toddy, 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">9</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">29.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Supper, £1 7/6; Perry Cider, 20/-</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Brandy Toddy, £1 4/-; Gin Toddy, £1 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">2</td> -<td class="td_right">14</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £13; Ginger beer, 6/-</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">30.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Suppers, 22/6; Gin, 8/-; Brandy, 7/6</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Gin Toddy; 30/-; Brandy Toddy, 30/-</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne</td> -<td class="td_right">12</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Aug.</td> -<td class="center">1.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Claret, £8; Sherry, £5 8/-; Port, £7 4/-</td> -<td class="td_right">20</td> -<td class="td_right">12</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">2.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Suppers, 17/6; Gin, 16/-; Brandy, 30/-</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Whisky Toddy, 20/-; Champagne, £7 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">8</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">3.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Claret, £10; Gin, 15/-; Brandy, 18/-</td> -<td class="td_right">11</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">6.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £8; Gin, 5/-</td> -<td class="td_right">8</td> -<td class="td_right">5</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">9.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Whisky Toddy, 13/10; Brandy Toddy, 18/-</td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="td_right">11</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page54" name="page54"></a>(p. 54)</span> "</span></td> -<td class="center">12.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Madeira, £6; Champagne, £9</td> -<td class="td_right">15</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">12.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Madeira, £7 10/-; Champagne, £8</td> -<td class="td_right">15</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">21.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>Champagne, £5; Claret, £7 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">12</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">23.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>ditto £2 10/-; do. £5 10/-</td> -<td class="td_right">8</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="center">25.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>ditto £6 10/-; Port, £1 4/-</td> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -<td class="td_right">14</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Sep.</td> -<td class="center">15.</td> -<td> </td> -<td>ditto</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="4"> </td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td colspan="4"> </td> -<td class="td_right">£308</td> -<td class="td_right">5</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>And the representation wanted a thorough reorganization, as may be -seen by the following list of close boroughs which were intended to be -disfranchised, with the number of voters in each:—</p> - -<table style="width: 50%;" summary="Boroughs"> -<tr> -<td>Aldborough</td> -<td class="td_right">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Aldeburgh</td> -<td class="td_right">80</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Appleby</td> -<td class="td_right">110</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bedwin</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Beer Alston</td> -<td class="td_right">90</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bishop's Castle</td> -<td class="td_right">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bletchingly</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Borough Bridge</td> -<td class="td_right">48</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bossiney</td> -<td class="td_right">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Brackley</td> -<td class="td_right">32</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bramber</td> -<td class="td_right">19</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Buckingham</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Callington</td> -<td class="td_right">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Camelford</td> -<td class="td_right">24</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Castle Rising</td> -<td class="td_right">43</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Corfe Castle</td> -<td class="td_right">55</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Dunwich</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Eye</td> -<td class="td_right">95</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Fowey</td> -<td class="td_right">76</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Gatton</td> -<td class="td_right">5</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Haslemere</td> -<td class="td_right">58</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Heden</td> -<td class="td_right">246</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Heytesbury</td> -<td class="td_right">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Higham Ferrers</td> -<td class="td_right">145</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Hindon</td> -<td class="td_right">250</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Ilchester</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>East Looe</td> -<td class="td_right">50</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>West Looe</td> -<td class="td_right">55</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Lostwithiel</td> -<td class="td_right">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Ludgershall</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Malmesbury</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Midhurst</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Milborne Port</td> -<td class="td_right">90</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Minehead</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Newport (Cornwall)</td> -<td class="td_right">62</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Newton (Lancashire)</td> -<td class="td_right">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Newton (Isle of Wight)</td> -<td class="td_right">40</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Okehampton</td> -<td class="td_right">230</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Orford</td> -<td class="td_right">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Petersfield</td> -<td class="td_right">140</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Plympton</td> -<td class="td_right">210</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Queensborough</td> -<td class="td_right">270</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Reigate</td> -<td class="td_right">200</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Romney</td> -<td class="td_right">150</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>St. Mawe's</td> -<td class="td_right">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>St. Michaels (Cornwall)</td> -<td class="td_right">32</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="pagenum"><a id="page55" name="page55"></a>(p. 55)</span> Saltash</td> -<td class="td_right">36</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Old Sarum</td> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Seaford</td> -<td class="td_right">98</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Steyning</td> -<td class="td_right">110</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Stockbridge</td> -<td class="td_right">110</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Tregony</td> -<td class="td_right">100</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wareham</td> -<td class="td_right">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wendover</td> -<td class="td_right">140</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Weobly</td> -<td class="td_right">90</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Whitchurch</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Winchelsea</td> -<td class="td_right">40</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Woodstock</td> -<td class="td_right">400</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wootton Bassett</td> -<td class="td_right">100</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Yarmouth</td> -<td class="td_right">50</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>For the following list it was proposed to have only one member:—</p> - -<table style="width: 50%;" summary="One member."> -<tr> -<td>Amersham</td> -<td class="td_right">125</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Arundel</td> -<td class="td_right">450</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Ashburton</td> -<td class="td_right">170</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bewdley</td> -<td class="td_right">13</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bodmin</td> -<td class="td_right">36</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Bridport</td> -<td class="td_right">340</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Chippenham</td> -<td class="td_right">135</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Clitheroe</td> -<td class="td_right">45</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Cockermouth</td> -<td class="td_right">180</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Dorchester</td> -<td class="td_right">200</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Downton</td> -<td class="td_right">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Droitwich</td> -<td class="td_right">12</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Evesham</td> -<td class="td_right">600</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Grimsby</td> -<td class="td_right">300</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Morpeth</td> -<td class="td_right">200</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Northallerton</td> -<td class="td_right">200</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Penryn</td> -<td class="td_right">400</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Richmond</td> -<td class="td_right">270</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Rye</td> -<td class="td_right">25</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>St. Germains</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>St. Ives</td> -<td class="td_right">200</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Sandwich</td> -<td class="td_right">955</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Sudbury</td> -<td class="td_right">800</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Shaftesbury</td> -<td class="td_right">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>East Grinstead</td> -<td class="td_right">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Guildford</td> -<td class="td_right">250</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Helston</td> -<td class="td_right">36</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Honiton</td> -<td class="td_right">350</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Huntington</td> -<td class="td_right">240</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Hythe</td> -<td class="td_right">150</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Launceston</td> -<td class="td_right">15</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Leominster</td> -<td class="td_right">700</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Liskeard</td> -<td class="td_right">100</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Lyme Regis</td> -<td class="td_right">30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Lymington</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Malton</td> -<td class="td_right">270</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Marlborough</td> -<td class="td_right">21</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Marlow</td> -<td class="td_right">235</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Tamworth</td> -<td class="td_right">300</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Thetford</td> -<td class="td_right">21</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Thirsk</td> -<td class="td_right">60</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Totness</td> -<td class="td_right">58</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Truro</td> -<td class="td_right">26</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wallingford</td> -<td class="td_right">180</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Westbury</td> -<td class="td_right">70</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wilton</td> -<td class="td_right">20</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Wycombe</td> -<td class="td_right">65</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>Lord John Russell prepared the first Reform Bill, and introduced it -into Parliament on March 1st. The <span class="pagenum"><a id="page56" name="page56"></a>(p. 56)</span> first division for the -second reading was taken on March 22nd, the numbers for, 302; against, -301. Majority 1. General Gascoyne, on the motion for a committee, -moved the following amendment: "That the number of representatives for -England and Wales ought not to be diminished," which was carried by -299 to 291. Of course, after this, there was nothing to be done but -dissolve Parliament at the earliest period possible, and this the King -did on April 22nd.</p> - -<p>The King on this occasion was loudly cheered, but it was not always -so—for Greville records under date of February, that—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The King went to the play the night before last; was well - received in the house, but hooted and pelted coming home, and a - stone shivered a window of his coach, and fell into Prince George - of Cumberland's lap. The King was excessively annoyed, and sent - for Baring, who was the officer riding by his coach, and asked - him if he knew who had thrown the stone; he said it terrified the - Queen, and was very disagreeable, as he should always be going - somewhere."</p> - -<p>On the 24th of February the Queen's birthday drawing-room was held, at -which the Princess Victoria made her <i lang="fr">debût</i> in society. The following -is the official account by the Court newsman:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Their Royal Highnesses, the Duchess of Kent and the Princess - Victoria, with their suite, came in state, in three carriages, - escorted by a party of the Life Guards. Their Royal Highnesses - were attended by the Duchess of Northumberland, Lady Charlotte - St. Maur, Lady Catherine Jenkinson, the Hon. Mrs. Cust, Lady - Conroy, Baroness Lehzen, Sir John Conroy, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page57" name="page57"></a>(p. 57)</span> General - Wetherall. The dresses of their Royal Highnesses were made - entirely of articles manufactured in the United Kingdom. The - Duchess's robe was of silk embroidered with silver, and was made - in Spitalfields; the train was of Irish poplin, blue figured with - silver. The Princess Victoria was dressed with great simplicity - in a frock of English blonde.... The Princess Victoria stood to - the left of her Majesty."</p> - -<p>We next find the Princess and her mother at Covent Garden Theatre on -April 14, witnessing the performance of Spohr's Opera <cite>Zamira and -Azor</cite>.</p> - -<p>Before the dissolution of Parliament, the <cite>Times</cite> newspaper got into a -scrape with the House of Lords on account of some remarks in its -issues of April 15th, which were as follows:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Yet mean, cruel, and atrocious as every civilized mind must - consider the doctrine, that Ireland has no need of poor laws, or - some equivalent for them,—hateful and abominable as is such a - screen for inhumanity,—there are men, or things with human - pretensions, nay, with lofty privileges, who do not blush to - treat the mere proposal of establishing a fund for the relief of - the diseased or helpless Irish, with brutal ridicule and almost - impious scorn. Would any man credit that an Irish absentee Lord - could say what he is reported to have uttered in the House of - Peers last night, when Lord Roseberry presented a petition, - praying that a compulsory tax on land might be introduced into - Ireland, towards alleviating her poor? We shall not name him, - because the House of Lords is armed with a thing called a 'Bar' - and other disagreeable appendages. But there are members of that - House who surprise nobody by declaring their indifference to - 'popular odium'—especially when they are at such a distance from - Ireland as to ensure the safety of their persons."</p> - -<p>The peer alluded to was the Earl of Limerick, who moved, on the 18th -of April, "That the editor of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page58" name="page58"></a>(p. 58)</span> the <cite>Times</cite> newspaper be ordered -to attend at the bar of that House to-morrow." The legal citation -would be on the printer, and, accordingly, on the 19th Mr. Lawson -attended, and a debate ensued, at the end of which he was ordered into -custody of the Usher of the Black Rod, to be produced next morning, -and was taken by two messengers of the House to Oliver's Coffee House, -where he was kept in durance. But, before their lordships met, he sent -them a petition—</p> - -<p class="quote">"That your petitioner feels the sincerest regret at having given - offence to your right honourable House, and to the Earl of - Limerick in particular, and craves pardon for the same; and - humbly begs, in consequence of this acknowledgment of his error - and regret, he may be set at liberty by your right honourable - House."</p> - -<p>All that day, and a great part of the next, the House debated upon the -crime of this wicked man, until it came to the conclusion that the -Lord Chancellor should reprimand and discharge him, which was -accordingly done; and the <cite>Times</cite>, in revenge, on the 26th of April, -published the following:—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Epigram</span>.</p> - -<p>To call a Lord a 'thing' is voted treason:<br /> - To call him 'no-thing,' then, must be in season."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The elections for the new Parliament now engaged the popular -attention; and, as elections were conducted in the "good old times" on -very different principles than at present, one or two little items -respecting them may be acceptable. <cite>Times</cite>, May 10th.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page59" name="page59"></a>(p. 59)</span> "<span class="smcap">Reduced Price of Votes.</span></p> - - <p>"A police constable belonging to a division at the east end of - the Metropolis, who has a vote for a borough not more than thirty - miles from London, applied to his inspector for permission to go - into the country to poll for one of the anti-reform candidates, - on Saturday morning. 'What do you expect to make by going down?' - inquired the inspector, from motives of curiosity. 'Only £10 and - the payment of my expenses,' was the reply of the 'independent - freeman.' 'Is that all?' exclaimed the inspector. 'I thought you - would make double that sum by your vote.' 'Oh no,' replied the - policeman, 'they don't come down now as they used to do. I have - had as much as £40 for my vote, and never less than £25; but now - I am glad to get £10.' 'Well, you may go,' said the inspector; - 'it will be the last time you will be wanted to vote, I have no - doubt.' 'I hope not, sir,' ejaculated the policeman, with a - long-drawn sigh; 'and if that Reform Bill passes, it will be a - sad loss to me and my brother freemen.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>Again (<i>ib.</i>, May 11th), quoting the <cite>Scotsman</cite>:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Strange stories are abroad as to the sale of services at the - election for the City of Edinburgh. Two persons are named as - having received round sums; and the daughter of one of them, when - asked by some civic functionaries of a humble class whether her - father had not received £500, is said to have answered, 'No; he - only received £300.'"</p> - -<p>In connection with electioneering, there was a curious action for -libel tried on June 18th, at the Court of King's Bench, before Lord -Tenterden and a jury. It arose out of certain proceedings at Great -Grimsby, during the General Election in 1830. The plaintiff was -lieutenant of the <cite>Greyhound</cite> Revenue cutter; the defendant, an -attorney at Great Grimsby. The libel was the following letter, dated -from Great <span class="pagenum"><a id="page60" name="page60"></a>(p. 60)</span> Grimsby, and published in some of the London -papers. The blues were the Whig party; the reds, their opponents:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At the late election, some extraordinary interferences took - place on the part of the persons employed in his Majesty's - Revenue Service here. The Collector of the Customs was observed - to join in the parade of the red party, and in its greetings and - huzzas. His Majesty's Revenue cutters, <cite>Greyhound</cite> and <cite>Lapwing</cite>, - landed from seventy to eighty of their crews, who kicked up - occasional rows, to intimidate the peaceful inhabitants and the - blue party; and in one of these, which became a serious riot and - affray, they were actually led on by one of their commanders, - Lieutenant Howe, of the <cite>Greyhound</cite>. This gentleman canvassed for - the reds, attended their parades in their uniform, and wore a red - ribbon, the cognizance of the party his efforts were intended to - support. Several sailors were employed to erect a booth in front - of the lodgings of the red candidates. A top-mast from the stores - of the <cite>Greyhound</cite> was raised up, to which a stage was fixed, for - the red candidates to make speeches from. Custom House flags were - carried in the red parades, and hung out of public-houses in the - red interest, and a Custom House ensign was suspended from the - top-mast in front of the red candidates lodgings. <i>The Greyhound - was laid in the Humber, about two miles from Grimsby, to receive - such of the blue party as could be made intoxicated, and - kidnapped on board her; and two of them were actually confined - there until the election was over.</i> Are such things tolerated by - Government?"</p> - -<p>This letter, with the exception of the passage in italics, was -published in the <cite>Globe</cite> of August 6, 1830. A similar letter, with -that passage included, was published in the <cite>Courier</cite> on the 20th of -the same month. Evidence was given confirming the truth of the libel -in every respect, whilst Captain Harris and Colonel Challoner, the -red candidates, stated that they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page61" name="page61"></a>(p. 61)</span> and the plaintiff did every -thing in their power to prevent disturbance, though the attack was -commenced by the blue party. These and several other witnesses went -into details in contradiction to the testimony of the defendant's -witnesses, but the jury found for the plaintiff, damages £10.</p> - -<p>There was a law case much talked about at this time. The <i>King</i> v. -<i>Cobbett</i>, tried before Lord Tenterden, in Court of King's Bench, on -7th July. It was an action against the notorious William Cobbett, -charging with the publication, in the <cite>Weekly Political Register</cite>, of -December 11, 1830, of a libel, with intent to raise discontent in the -minds of the labourers in husbandry, and to incite them to acts of -violence, and to destroy corn, machinery, and other property. The -trial lasted all day, and as the jury could not agree, they were -locked up all night. Lord Tenterden came to Court next morning, at -eight o'clock, and finding that the jury, after having been locked up -for fifteen hours, could not agree, discharged them.</p> - -<p>On July 16th, Prince Leopold, the husband of the late Princess -Charlotte, left London for Brussels, having been made King of the -Belgians.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page62" name="page62"></a>(p. 62)</span> CHAPTER VII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1831.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Opening of New London Bridge — After the luncheon — State of the - waiters — Provision for the Princess Victoria — Sale of Sir Walter - Scott's MSS. — The coronation — Its expenses — A "half - crownation" — The Lord Mayor and his gold cup.</p> - -<p>The next subject for general conversation was the opening of New -London Bridge, on August 1st, by the King and Queen, who went in State -by water from Somerset House, which must have been a beautiful sight, -as any one who can remember the civic water pageant on Lord Mayor's -Day can imagine.</p> - -<p>The following contemporary account, which is the shortest I can find, -is from the <cite>Annual Register</cite>:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"At three o'clock, the hoisting of the Royal standard of England - over the centre of Somerset House, announced the arrival of their - Majesties, and was followed by discharges of cannon of all sorts - from the wharves and barges. When the King and Queen appeared on - the steps descending to the platform from which they were to - embark, the cheers from the crowd was almost deafening. The - awnings of the barges had been removed by his Majesty's desire, - so that a full view of the Royal party could be obtained - throughout the whole line.</p> - - <p>"It was past four o'clock before the Royal barges reached the - bridge. An awning had been thrown halfway over the bridge. On - the London side, adjacent to the side of Old Fishmongers' <span class="pagenum"><a id="page63" name="page63"></a>(p. 63)</span> - Hall, was erected a splendid pavilion. This was the position - allotted to their Majesties, the Royal suite, the Civic - authorities, and the more distinguished of the company. The - pavilion was constructed of standards that had, formerly, waved - over the armies of almost every civilized nation in the world. - The breadth of it was equal to that of the bridge. Its form was - quadrangular, and, at the four corners, were placed, upon raised - broad pedestals, groups of men in armour. The pillars which - supported the royal pavilion were adorned with flags, shields, - helmets, and massive swords. Their Majesties' seats were beneath - a gorgeous canopy of state of crimson cloth, the back of which - was formed of plate glass.</p> - - <p>"To the right and left of this canopy were places for the members - of the Royal family, the ministers, and many of the nobility. - From the ends of the principal table, and at right angles to it, - ran two other narrow tables, which were reserved for civic - authorities and members of Parliament. No other tables were - placed in the royal pavilion, and thus a large open space was - preserved in front of their Majesties, whose view of the whole of - the company under the awning was free and unobstructed, except - for the drapery which formed the front of the tent....</p> - - <p>"The stairs on the London side of the bridge had been covered - with crimson cloth, and at the bottom of these stairs, their - Majesties were received with all the formalities usual upon the - occasion of royal visits to the City. The King was handed out of - his barge by Mr. Routh, who gave his Majesty his arm. Mr. Jones, - as chairman of the 'New London Bridge Committee,' was present to - receive her Majesty on her landing. Upon stepping ashore, the - King addressed these gentlemen in the following words: 'Mr. Jones - and Mr. Routh, I am very glad to see you on London bridge. It is, - certainly, a most beautiful edifice; and the spectacle is the - grandest and most delightful, in every respect, that I ever had - the pleasure to witness.' His Majesty then paused to survey the - scene around him. At this moment the air was rent with the most - deafening cheers on all sides, and the King, taking off his hat, - acknowledged this hearty greeting of his subjects by repeated - bows.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img64.jpg" width="500" height="286" alt="" title="Bridge." /> -<p class="center smcap">Opening of New London Bridge, August 1, 1831.</p> -</div> - - <p>"Their Majesties proceeded to the top of the stairs, where the - sword and keys of the City were tendered to the King by the - Lord <span class="pagenum"><a id="page65" name="page65"></a>(p. 65)</span> Mayor, and, on returning them, his Majesty signified - his wish that they should remain in his Lordship's hands. The - Chairman of the Committee then presented his Majesty with a gold - medal, commemorative of the opening of the bridge, having, on one - side, an impression of the King's head, and, on the reverse, a - view of the new bridge, with the dates of the present ceremony, - and of the laying of the first stone. As soon as these - formalities had been completed, the whole of the Royal party had - assembled in the pavilion, their Majesties proceeded to the end - of the bridge, attended by their Royal Highnesses, the Dukes of - Cumberland and Sussex, and by the principal members of the Royal - family. The officers of the Royal household, nearly all the - ministers, and a vast number of the nobility, and of the members - of the House of Commons, composed the Royal procession. In going - to, and returning from the Surrey end of the bridge, their - Majesties threw medals to the spectators on each side of them.</p> - - <p>"As soon as it was announced that his Majesty was approaching the - bridge, Mr. Green had caused his balloon to be filled, and just - as the Royal procession had reached the Surrey side of the - bridge, Mr. Green made his ascent. His Majesty showed himself - from the parapets on either side of the bridge to the assembled - multitudes below.</p> - - <p>"After the conclusion of this ceremony, the Royal party returned - to the pavilion, where a cold collation was laid out. A similar - repast was served up to the guests at all the other tables. After - the healths of the King and Queen had been drank, amid loud - acclamations, the Lord Mayor presented a gold cup of great beauty - to the King, who said, taking the cup, 'I cannot but refer, on - this occasion, to the great work which has been accomplished by - the citizens of London. The City of London has been renowned for - its magnificent improvements, and we are commemorating a most - extraordinary instance of their skill and talent. I shall propose - the source whence this vast improvement sprung. 'The trade and - commerce of the City of London.' The King then drank of what is - called the 'loving cup,' of which every other member of the Royal - family partook.</p> - - <p>"At six o'clock their Majesties re-embarked, amidst the same loud - cheering, firing of artillery, ringing of bells, and other marks - of respect which had marked their progress down."</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page66" name="page66"></a>(p. 66)</span> As a pendant to this picture, let us read a paragraph out of -the <cite>Times</cite> of August 4th:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Rather an odd picture presented itself under the pavilion on - Monday night. The wines, it was well known by all who partook of - the hospitality of the Directors of the Bridge House Estates, out - of which all the expenses of the magnificent entertainment are to - be defrayed, were most abundantly supplied. Several of the - waiters, over whom nobody seemed to have any control, after the - bulk of the company had departed, took care to appropriate the - champagne and hock in such a manner that the Aldermen and other - members of the Committee looked about in vain for a bottle. Mr. - Oldham, the Chairman of the Royal Entertainment Committee, who - was upon his legs all day, in attendance upon their Majesties, - was obliged, at the conclusion of the feast, to beg, for God's - sake, for a glass of wine out of a bottle, which a gentleman had - taken out of a waiter's hiding-place; and Sir Claudius S. Hunter, - after running about for some time, to accommodate a few of his - female friends, was obliged, at last, to 'give it up.' In the - meantime, the wine was, every moment, sent forth from the cellar - in abundance. In a little while, however, the cause of the - deficiency was discovered. The Marshals, in going round, - perceived that almost all the waiters were blind drunk, and they - moved them, by dozens, from the scene of festivity, amid the - laughter of the crowds at the barriers. The fact is, that the - waiters employed upon this occasion were all trustworthy persons, - many of them the proprietors of respectable taverns; and they - calculated that, as through their means the plate and other - property were all safe, the least they could do was to drink - their Majesties health in overwhelming bumpers."</p> - -<p>On the day following the royal visit, the bridge was thrown open to -the public, and it was computed that about 200,000 people passed over -it from the London side.</p> - -<p>The next thing that gave people something to talk about, was the -King's message to Parliament <span class="pagenum"><a id="page67" name="page67"></a>(p. 67)</span> respecting a suitable maintenance -for the heir-presumptive to the throne. This he did on August 2nd, as -follows:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">William, R.</span>—His Majesty, taking into consideration that since - the Parliament had made a provision for the support of her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Alexandrina - Victoria of Kent, circumstances have arisen which make it proper - that a more adequate provision should be made for Her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent, and for the honourable support and - education of her Highness the Princess Alexandrina Victoria of - Kent, recommends the consideration thereof to this House, and - relies on the attachment of his faithful Commons to adopt such - measures as may be suitable to the occasion."</p> - -<p>Accordingly, next day, the House of Commons went into committee on the -matter, and Lord Althorp (Chancellor of the Exchequer), in a short -speech, compared the situation, as heirs to the throne, of the -Princess Charlotte and the Princess Victoria. He pointed out that upon -the birth of the Princess Charlotte, the Princess of Wales received -£6000 a year for her maintenance; and that, in 1806, the sum was -raised to £7000, to be paid out of the Consolidated Fund. In addition -to this, the Princess Charlotte was paid a sum of £34,000 out of the -Droits of the Admiralty, and received £9777 from the Civil List. Upon -the whole, the income received by the Princess Charlotte, from the -tenth year of her age, amounted to £17,000 a year. In 1825 the sum of -£6000 was granted for the support of the Princess Victoria, and that -was all that had been voted by the public for her maintenance. It was -his duty to make <span class="pagenum"><a id="page68" name="page68"></a>(p. 68)</span> a proposition for the future support and -maintenance of the Princess Victoria, and it was his intention to -follow the precedent of 1825, and to vote the money to her Royal -Highness the Duchess of Kent, to be by her applied to the support and -education of her daughter.</p> - -<p>The amount of income received by the Duchess of Kent was £6000 a year, -an allowance settled upon her at the time of her marriage, and a -further sum of £6000 which she received on account of the Princess -Victoria. He proposed that £10,000 a year be added to this income, -which would make the whole allowance received by the Duchess of Kent, -£22,000; namely, £6000 for the Duchess herself, and the remaining -£16,000 for the maintenance of the Princess Victoria. He, therefore, -proposed the following resolution:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"That it is the opinion of this Committee, that his Majesty - should be enabled to grant a yearly sum, not exceeding £10,000 - out of the Consolidated Funds of the United Kingdom of Great - Britain and Ireland, for a more adequate provision for her Royal - Highness the Duchess of Kent, and the honourable support and - education of her Royal Highness the Princess Alexandrina Victoria - of Kent; and the said yearly sum to be paid from the 5th of - January, 1831."</p> - -<p>To this there was no objection made by any member of whatever shade of -politics he might be; indeed all said they would heartily support it, -save one. Henry Hunt, the radical member for Preston, who, "feeling -that he should not do his duty to his constituents if he did not -oppose every kind of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page69" name="page69"></a>(p. 69)</span> extravagance, he moved, as an amendment -to the resolution, to substitute £5000 for £10,000." But in the end, -on a division of the committee on this amendment, the numbers -were—Ayes, 0; Noes, 223; majority, 223. The Bill received the Royal -Assent September 6th, 1831, and is known in the Statute book as 1 and -2 Gul. IV. c. 20.</p> - -<p>Apropos of this, there was a little joke, in the shape of a drawing by -H. B., which can neither be placed as a satirical print, nor a -caricature, but is a simple bit of pure fun. About the time of this -discussion, the Bishopric of Derry was vacant, value about £11,000 a -year, and it was humorously suggested that, to save the nation the -£10,000, the Princess Victoria should be made</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img69.jpg" width="350" height="410" alt="" title="Bishop." /> -<p class="center smcap">The New Bishop of Derry.</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page70" name="page70"></a>(p. 70)</span> On the 17th of August a bronze statue, by Chantry, of William -Pitt, the statesman was erected in Hanover Square, where it now -stands.</p> - -<p>On the 19th of August there were sold, during the lifetime of their -writer many manuscripts of Sir Walter Scott's novels. The auctioneer -was Mr. Evans of Pall Mall, and the prices they fetched were as -follows: "The Monastery," warranted perfect, £18. "Guy Mannering," -wanting a folio at the end of the second volume, £27 19<i>s.</i> "Old -Mortality," perfect, £33. "The Antiquary," perfect, £42. "Rob Roy," -complete, but the second volume wrongly paged, £50. "Peveril of the -Peak," perfect, £42. "Waverley," very imperfect, £18. "The Abbot," -imperfect, £14. "Ivanhoe," £12. "The Pirate," imperfect, £12. "The -Fortunes of Nigel," £16. "Kenilworth," imperfect, £17. "The Bride of -Lammermoor," £14 14<i>s.</i> In all, £316 4<i>s.</i></p> - -<p>But <em>the</em> topic of conversation for the year was the coronation, and -much was the gossip and town talk thereon. It was to be nothing as -grand as that of George the Magnificent, the amount voted by the House -of Commons, on September 1st, to be expended upon it, being only -£50,000. There was to be no banquet in Westminster Hall, no Champion; -and the people satirically called it a "half-crownation." But the -spirit of economy was abroad, and the tastes of the <i lang="fr">bourgeois</i> -monarch were simple. And the outlay was well within the sum granted, -the actual expenditure being—</p> - -<table summary="Expenditure"> -<tr> -<td><span class="pagenum"><a id="page71" name="page71"></a>(p. 71)</span></td> -<td class="td_right">£</td> -<td class="td_right"><i>s.</i></td> -<td class="td_right"><i>d.</i></td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>In the several departments of their Majesties - households</td> -<td class="td_right">22,234</td> -<td class="td_right">10</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td>By the Office of Arms, for the King's Heralds - and Pursuivants</td> -<td class="td_right">1478</td> -<td class="td_right">3</td> -<td class="td_right">9</td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td>In the Office of Works, for fitting up the - Abbey, etc.</td> -<td class="td_right">12,085</td> -<td class="td_right">14</td> -<td class="td_right">5</td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td>In the Mint for Coronation Medals</td> -<td class="td_right">4326</td> -<td class="td_right">4</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td>The amount expended for fireworks, and for - keeping open the public theatres on the - night of the Coronation</td> -<td class="td_right">3034</td> -<td class="td_right">18</td> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -</tr> -<tr><td colspan="4"> </td></tr> -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">———</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">Total</td> -<td class="td_right">43,159</td> -<td class="td_right">11</td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">———</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p>Great fun was made of this meagre spectacle, as we may see by the -satirical sketch shown on p. 72, by H. B., entitled, "Going to a -Half-Crownation," where the Dukes of Cumberland and Sussex are shown -in a hack cab, the King and Queen in a hackney coach, on the box of -which sits Lord Chancellor Brougham, bearing the great seal; whilst -the omnibus behind contains the Fitzclarences, the King's family by -Mrs. Jordan. The peers and peeresses are on foot; first, Lord Grey -carrying the Sword of State, then Lord and Lady Durham, and last, Lady -Grey. The gentleman on horseback is Mr. Lee, High Bailiff of -Westminster.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img72.jpg" width="600" height="225" alt="" title="A Half-Crownation." /> -<p class="center smcap">A Half-Crownation.</p> -</div> - -<p>At the customary banquet in Westminster Hall, the Lord Mayor of London -is by prescriptive right the chief butler on the occasion, and hands -the King wine in a gold goblet, which he receives as his fee, but -there being no banquet on this occasion, there <span class="pagenum"><a id="page73" name="page73"></a>(p. 73)</span> was no gold -cup. The <cite>Times</cite>, of August 27th, tells an amusing anecdote respecting -the cup at the coronation of George IV.—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At the last Coronation, Alderman Thorp, then Lord Mayor, - performed service as butler, and received an unusually splendid - gold cup as his perquisite.... A laughable story has been revived - in the City, within the last few days, relative to a former - Coronation. On the occasion we allude to, the Coronation was - fixed for a certain day. The Coronation Cup was under the hands - of the King's jeweller, and the Lord Mayor, who intended to cut a - great dash amongst his fellow citizens, slily went to the person - who was finishing off the article, and told him to make it £30 - richer and more beautiful than his instructions amounted to. This - innocent piece of imposition was accordingly carried into effect, - and his Lordship paid down his £30, and rejoiced in the superior - importance which the value of the perquisite would confer upon - him. By some awful circumstance, the day of Coronation was not - only postponed, but actually appointed to take place in another - mayoralty, and the gold cup, with its £30 worth of superiority, - fell into the hands of a more fortunate chief magistrate and - butler. It is recorded that when the Lord Mayor was receiving the - cup from his Majesty, there was, amongst those who suspected the - disappointment, a general titter, in which all the Aldermen, with - one exception, joined."</p> - -<p>The sum voted for this coronation was so meagre, that a crown for the -Queen could not be included in the expenses. Her Majesty, therefore, -not caring to hire jewels for her crown, as did George IV., had it -decorated with her own personal precious stones.</p> - -<p>I have no space to give an account of the coronation, the ceremonial -of which followed the established use.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page74" name="page74"></a>(p. 74)</span> CHAPTER VIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1831.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Scramble for coronation medals — Bad weather — Fireworks in Hyde - Park — Absence from the ceremony of the Duchess of Kent and - Princess Victoria — The <cite>Times</cite> thereon — Story of a Great - Seal — Reform Bill rejected by the Lords — Reform riots in the - country and London — Windows of Apsley House broken by the mob.</p> - -<p>There was a regular scramble for the coronation medals, and one -accident is recorded as having happened to Alderman Sir Claudius -Hunter. He made an effort to catch some of the Coronation medals which -were cast among the company. The other aldermen, however, were as -anxious as he was to get hold of the medal, and, in the <i lang="fr">melée</i>, Sir -Claudius received a cut under the eye, and the blood streamed down. It -happened that the famous surgeon, Sir Astley Cooper, was close by, and -he attended to the wounded man; but it was remarked that none of the -aldermen got a medal in the scramble. Possibly, a medal so obtained, -may have a fictitious value, as a memento, but they could be obtained -at the Mint, or at appointed places in Ludgate Hill, or Panton Street, -Haymarket, at the following prices: gold, £5, silver, 10<i>s.</i>, bronze, -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p>During the procession to the Abbey the weather was fine, and the -sight a brilliant one; but, soon <span class="pagenum"><a id="page75" name="page75"></a>(p. 75)</span> after one o'clock, a very -heavy rain descended; the wind, too, blew with great violence, and -occasioned rattling and tearing among the canvas canopies of the newly -erected stands. It ceased for a short time, between two and three, -when it broke out afresh, and was particularly lively when the -ceremony was over, at half-past three. It quite spoilt the return -procession, some of the carriages driving straight away, and those -that fell into rank had their windows up. The general public were in -sorry plight, as we see in the accompanying illustration—</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img75.jpg" width="500" height="321" alt="" title="Coronation Day." /> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">Coronation Day.</span><br /> -Some of the lieges on their return."</p> -</div> - -<p>In spite of the weather, London was brilliantly illuminated, and the -theatres and Vauxhall Gardens were thrown open free. There was a -display of fireworks in Hyde Park, at which many were more or <span class="pagenum"><a id="page76" name="page76"></a>(p. 76)</span> -less hurt by the falling rocket-sticks, six so seriously as to have to -be taken to St. George's Hospital. Throughout the country the -festivity was universal.</p> - -<p>One little thing marred the universality. The Duchess of Kent was not -present at the coronation, neither was the Princess Victoria. It was -an open secret that the King and the Duchess were not on friendly -terms, but it was thought very bad taste on her part not to be -present; this was freely commented on, as we see in—</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img76.jpg" width="500" height="328" alt="" title="The Kentish Lady." /> -<p class="center"><span class="smcap">The Kentish Lady</span><br /> -that did not go to the Coronation."</p> -</div> - -<p>The Duchess is saying to the weeping Princess, "Say no more about the -Coronation, child. I have my <em>particular reasons</em> for not going to -it."</p> - -<p>The <cite>Times</cite> must needs turn virtuously indignant <span class="pagenum"><a id="page77" name="page77"></a>(p. 77)</span> on the -occasion, and lectured the Royal Duchess thus<a id="footnotetag8" name="footnotetag8"></a><a href="#footnote8" title="Go to footnote 8"><span class="smaller">[8]</span></a>—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"In the midst of the general interest and affectionate zeal - excited by the sublime ceremony of to-morrow, of a constitutional - monarch pledging himself to a free people to guard their rights - and privileges, it has been remarked, with very general surprise, - that the Duchess of Kent and the Princess Victoria are the only - members of the Royal family, old or young, who are not to be - present at the Coronation. It is with deep regret that we have - learned that her Royal Highness has refused to attend! Yes, has - refused to attend! and that her absence on this occasion, is in - pursuance of a systematic opposition on the part of her Royal - Highness to all the wishes and all the feelings of the present - King. Now, the presence, or absence of the Duchess herself, is a - matter of comparative indifference—it is merely disrespectful; - but that of the Princess Victoria, which must, as to its - immediate cause, be imputed to her mother, cannot fail of being - considered by the public as indecent and offensive. We should be - glad to know who are the advisers of this misguided lady? Who can - have dared to counsel her, the widow of a mediatized German - Prince, whose highest ambition never could have contemplated the - possibility of an alliance with the Blood Royal of England, to - oppose the Sovereign to whom she is bound by so many ties of - gratitude? Her Royal Highness must have been acting under a - well-grounded confidence in the indulgence and forbearance of his - Majesty, or an entire ignorance of the authority of the Crown. - The Constitution has limited the political power of the King, but - has left it uncontrolled and despotic over the members of his own - family; and it cannot be disputed that she who is ignorant of the - respect which is due to the Crown, is unfit to form the mind and - superintend the education of the infant who is destined to wear - it.</p> - - <p>"We could mention some curious facts, which, for the present, we - shall abstain from doing. We would rather admonish than expose, - and shall rejoice if these monitory hints be not thrown away. No - monarch has more endeared himself to his subjects <span class="pagenum"><a id="page78" name="page78"></a>(p. 78)</span> than - William IV.; and the Duchess of Kent is grossly mistaken if she - thinks to ingratiate herself with the people of this country by - opposition to the will and disrespect to the power of the King."</p> -</div> - -<p>But the <cite>Times</cite> sang another tune in its issue of September 10th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"In an affair of great delicacy, to which we have already - alluded, our wish would be, if we might be permitted, to put the - public in possession of the whole truth, and then let the matter - drop, for we know that protracted discussions are apt to excite - resentments which did not, at first, exist. It was impossible - that the absence of the Duchess of Kent, and of the Princess - Victoria, her daughter, from the Coronation, should have escaped - notice; we, therefore, stated what the fact would be, and - assigned some causes for it. We now hope to close the account in - a manner which may suppress rising animosities. We have received - two versions of the affair, and both, if we look to the quarters - from which they come, entitled to the highest consideration.</p> - - <p>"The first says, 'Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent wrote to - the Duke of Norfolk, as Hereditary Earl Marshal, to know how she - was to go to the Abbey herself, and what arrangement had been - made for the Princess Victoria. The answer was: that his Majesty - had signified his pleasure that her Royal Highness should attend - in her place as a dowager Princess and Peeress, and that the - Princess Victoria should go under the care of the Landgravine and - the Princess Augusta, and be attended by the Duchess of - Northumberland, in the Royal pew. This answer having been - received, so far was her Royal Highness from declining - attendance, that she ordered her robes, and it was understood by - all the Royal family that she would be there. The King, never - doubting but that the Duchess would be at the Coronation, ordered - a letter to be written to her to know whom she would name to - carry her Coronet: to this, no answer was received. After waiting - some time, his Majesty ordered another letter to be written in - his own name, and to this, an answer did come, from Sir John - Conroy, speaking of her attendance as uncertain, but saying that, - if she did attend, she would have her coronet borne by Lord - Morpeth.'</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page79" name="page79"></a>(p. 79)</span> "Our other account agrees, in the chief facts, with the - preceding; but adds, 'Her Royal Highness wrote to express her - ready compliance with the arrangement made as to the places - selected for herself and her daughter, and her desire to be - present at the ceremony, and to mark her dutiful regard to his - Majesty; but it was, afterwards, considered inexpedient to - interrupt the benefit which the Princess Victoria's health was - receiving by her residence near the sea; and, upon this ground, - and, also, upon the expense which would attend the Duchess of - Kent's leaving the Isle of Wight, and removing all her - establishment to town, so as to appear in state at the - Coronation, his Majesty was pleased, in the most gracious, and - the kindest manner, to dispense with the attendance of the - Duchess of Kent, and the Princess, her daughter.'</p> - - <p>"Upon these two accounts we may observe, that the latter takes no - notice of the delay in answering the letters written by his - Majesty's direction; and the former omits all mention of the - King's graciously dispensing with the attendance of the - illustrious personages at the Coronation. It may seem singular - that the Duchess should first apply to know the place assigned to - herself and the Princess, and, after these were known, decline - attendance, if there were no dissatisfaction. But, perhaps, some - cause for alarm might have sprung up, on the score of her - daughter's health. The expense was no greater after the question - about places was answered than before. However, his Majesty's - acquiescence in the reasons alleged for absence, may serve to - satisfy the objections of every other person.</p> - - <p>"The claims of an heiress presumptive are not recognised, so far - as we know, in any part of the Constitution; and to consolidate - any pretensions of this hypothetical nature into an opposition to - his Majesty, as it would be madness, we feel very well convinced, - cannot be contemplated by her Royal Highness."</p> -</div> - -<p>And with this episode we will close the coronation.</p> - -<p>About this time Greville tells a little story of a Council Meeting.</p> - -<p class="quote">"September 3.—This King is a queer fellow. Our Council <span class="pagenum"><a id="page80" name="page80"></a>(p. 80)</span> - was, principally, for a new Great Seal, and to deface the old - Seal. The Chancellor claims the old one as his perquisite. I had - forgotten the hammer,<a id="footnotetag9" name="footnotetag9"></a><a href="#footnote9" title="Go to footnote 9"><span class="smaller">[9]</span></a> so the King said, 'My Lord, the best - thing I can do, is to give you the Seal, and tell you to take it, - and do what you please with it.' The Chancellor said, 'Sir, I - believe there is some doubt whether Lord Lyndhurst ought not to - have half of it, as he was Chancellor at the time of your - Majesty's accession.' 'Well,' said the King, 'then, I will judge - between you, like Solomon; here' (turning the Seal round and - round), 'now do you cry heads or tails?' We all laughed, and the - Chancellor said, 'Sir, I take the bottom part.' The King opened - the two compartments of the Seal, and said, 'Now, then, I employ - you as Ministers of taste. You will send for Bridge, my - silversmith, and desire him to convert the two halves, each into - a salver, with my arms on one side, and yours on the other, and - Lord Lyndhurst's the same; and you will take one, and give him - the other, and both keep them as presents from me.'"</p> - -<p>We, lately, have heard a great deal against the House of Lords, even -to its being abolished, but this was as nothing compared to the -feeling excited by the Reform Bill. At half-past five on the morning -of September 22nd, the Bill was read a third time, and passed, in the -House of Commons, by a majority of 113. It then went to the Lords, and -on the second reading Lord Wharncliffe moved, "That the Bill be read -that day six months." The Lords had five days' debate upon the Bill, -and rejected it on October 7th by a majority of 41.</p> - -<p>This raised the ire of the Reform party; and, as was the custom of -the age, riots ensued. The <span class="pagenum"><a id="page81" name="page81"></a>(p. 81)</span> <cite>Annual Register</cite> gives the -following condensed account of them:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The rejection of the Reform Bill caused some partial - disturbances in the country. At Derby, a mob, on Saturday and - Sunday, the 8th and 9th, committed several outrages, attacked the - city gaol, set the prisoners at liberty, and then proceeded to - the county gaol, where they were resisted and foiled in the - attempt: on Monday evening quiet was restored, but not before - several lives were lost, and many persons wounded. One young man, - son of Mr. Haden, surgeon, was killed by the mob.</p> - - <p>"At Nottingham, the castle, which belongs to the Duke of - Newcastle, was burnt down; Colwick Hall, the seat of John - Musters, Esq., was broke into, the furniture destroyed (including - several valuable pictures, particularly Sir Joshua Reynolds' - whole length of Mrs. M.), and the house set on fire, which, - however, was soon extinguished. A factory at Beeston, belonging - to Mr. Lowe, was burnt down. The House of Correction was - attacked, but, the 15th Hussars arriving, the mob dispersed; - fifteen of them were made prisoners. Some trifling disturbances - took place at Loughborough.</p> - - <p>"In the metropolis, also, fears were entertained; on the 10th the - inhabitants of Bond Street were thrown into a panic, by a report - that a mob of several thousand persons were coming, with the - determination of breaking all windows where the shutters were not - closed. Although it was only six o'clock, every shop was - instantly closed, and the street presented, from one end to the - other, a very dark and gloomy appearance. In Regent Street and - some other of the great thoroughfares, the shutters were closed; - and where there was property, more particularly valuable, boards - were nailed across. Several Reform meetings were held on the same - day, and various stratagems were had recourse to, by their - promoters, to induce the shopkeepers and other inhabitants, to - make a display of revolutionary emblems.</p> - - <p>"On the 11th, as three policemen were coming through St. James's - Square, with a prisoner in their custody, the crowd surrounded - them, and rescued the prisoner. The constables took out their - staves, but were pushed along until they arrived at <span class="pagenum"><a id="page82" name="page82"></a>(p. 82)</span> - Waterloo Place, where they were joined by a party of police. At - the corner of Waterloo Place, the crowd took advantage of a heap - of macadamised stones, which they flung at the police in every - direction, so that the latter were glad to make their escape.</p> - - <p>"Between two and three o'clock, a large assemblage took place in - Hyde Park. Stones were thrown at Apsley House, and a few squares - of glass were broken. When some of the Duke of Wellington's - servants presented themselves at the windows, great hissing and - hooting followed, and immediately afterwards, a shower of stones - was thrown at the house, and almost every square of glass in it - was demolished. Some policemen, who were upon the spot at the - time, endeavoured to drive the crowd out of the Park, but violent - resistance was made, and the constables were, ultimately, - compelled to make a precipitate retreat, and take shelter in his - grace's mansion. Notice of these proceedings having been given to - St. James's police station, a large party of the C and T - divisions, headed by a superintendent and four inspectors, - proceeded with all possible haste to Hyde Park, where they formed - in a body under the statue. They had not been there many minutes - before they were saluted with several showers of stones. These - attacks were, for a time, borne with exemplary patience; but, at - length, a large crowd having collected in front of the Duke of - Wellington's house, the police, in number about 200, sallied - forth, and, in an instant, the rabble ran in all directions. - Several of the ringleaders were taken into custody, and conveyed - to Knightsbridge barracks.</p> - - <p>"After the mob had been driven out of Hyde Park, they proceeded - to the mansion of Earl Dudley, and commenced throwing stones at - the windows; but a strong body of police, who had been stationed - in his lordship's stables, suddenly rushed upon them with their - staves, and the mob were beaten off.</p> - - <p>"Some desperate attacks were made upon the new police by - regularly organised gangs of pickpockets, and several constables - were very severely beaten. At the corner of Charles Street, St. - James's Square, some young thieves were taken into custody by - three of the police, who were detached from the main body; the - prisoners were rescued, and the constables were obliged to make - their escape. One of the inspectors of the C division, who was - parading in Pall Mall in private clothes, was recognised by - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page83" name="page83"></a>(p. 83)</span> some of the rabble, who kicked him and beat him in so - cruel a manner, that he narrowly escaped with his life.</p> - - <p>After the <i lang="fr">Levée</i> was over, a vast number of the lower orders - assembled in the park, awaiting the arrival of some of the - Anti-Reform peers. About five o'clock, the Marquis of - Londonderry, accompanied by a friend, made his appearance on - horseback, and was proceeding to the House of Lords. Before the - Marquis was aware, he found himself in the midst of between 4000 - and 5000 persons. At first, he was not recognised, and he was - proceeding with apparent security, when, on a sudden, a voice - exclaimed, 'There goes the Marquis of Londonderry.' In an instant - he was assailed with pebbles. Several of the missiles struck his - lordship, which so enraged him, that he pulled up his horse, and - solemnly declared that he would shoot at the first individual who - again dared to molest him. His lordship accompanied his - declaration by pulling out a brace of pistols. This, for a time, - so intimidated the mob, that they gave way in a slight degree; - and, after the Marquis had conversed for a few seconds with a - gentleman on horseback near him, he rode off towards the Horse - Guards. Thither the mob followed; and, believing that his - lordship only endeavoured to intimidate them, they commenced - another attack. The showers of stones were now thicker than ever, - and one stone, hurled with considerable force, struck the noble - Marquis immediately over his right temple, cut through his hat, - and inflicted a serious wound on his head, which rendered his - lordship nearly insensible. The military here interposed, and the - Marquis was placed in a hackney coach, and conveyed home."</p> -</div> - -<p>The Rev. G. R. Gleig, in his "Life of Arthur, Duke of Wellington" -(edit. 1864, p. 360), gives the following account of the -window-breaking at Apsley House:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The Duke was not in his place in the House of Lords on that - memorable day when the King went down to dissolve - Parliament.<a id="footnotetag10" name="footnotetag10"></a><a href="#footnote10" title="Go to footnote 10"><span class="smaller">[10]</span></a> He had been in attendance, for some time <span class="pagenum"><a id="page84" name="page84"></a>(p. 84)</span> - previously, at the sick bed of the Duchess, and she expired just - as the Park guns began to fire. He was, therefore, ignorant of - the state into which London had fallen, till a surging crowd - swept up from Westminster to Piccadilly, shouting and yelling, - and offering violence to all whom they suspected of being - Anti-Reformers. By-and-by, volleys of stones came crashing - through the windows at Apsley house, breaking them to pieces and - doing injury to more than one valuable picture in the gallery. - The Duke bore the outrage as well as he could, but determined - never to run a similar risk again. He guarded his windows, as - soon as quiet was restored, with iron shutters, and left them - there to the day of his death, a standing memento of a nation's - ingratitude."</p> - -<p>Doubtless many of my readers remember those shutters, which were -always down, and were not removed until after his funeral on November -18, 1852.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page85" name="page85"></a>(p. 85)</span> CHAPTER IX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1831.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Reform procession — The Corporation of London and the - King — Dreadful riots at Bristol — Riots in other parts of the - kingdom — Edward Irving and the "Gifts of Tongues" — The - cholera — Its spread — State of Ireland — Tithe agitation — Scarcity - of food — Repeal of the Union — Cases of violence.</p> - -<p>A large portion of the nation, and London in particular, had Reform on -the brain; and, as soon as the news of the rejection of the Bill was -generally known, it was arranged at a meeting of delegates from the -several parishes that separate addresses to the King should be -presented from each, and that deputations should be accompanied to St. -James's Palace by such of the parishioners who chose to attend. -Accordingly, on October 12th, deputations and auxiliaries from St. -Marylebone, St. Pancras, St. Luke's Clerkenwell, St. James -Westminster, and St. Mary Newington, marched to St. James's, and it -was reckoned that there was an assemblage of about sixty thousand -people.</p> - -<p>The deputations waited on Lord Melbourne, who was Home Secretary, and -requested him to present them to the King. My Lord diplomatically -replied that he would first learn his Majesty's pleasure thereon, but -would advise them to give the addresses <span class="pagenum"><a id="page86" name="page86"></a>(p. 86)</span> to the members for -Middlesex, Messrs. Byng and Hume, who would present them, which was -accordingly done. The members returned in about an hour, when Mr. Hume -addressed the mob. He told them that he had presented their addresses -to his Majesty, telling him that they were passed at meetings of near -forty thousand persons, and that they prayed he would retain his -ministers—use all constitutional means to pass the Reform Bill—and -dismiss those persons from his court and household who were opposed to -the measure; and he further informed his hearers, that the King had -distinctly promised that their prayers should be complied with, and -that he had emphatically observed that he had the highest confidence -in his present ministry, and that every means in his power should be -used to secure the success of a measure so essentially necessary to -the interest, happiness, and welfare of his people; and, further, all -persons about his court, or person, opposed to the Bill should be -removed. The mob cheered loudly, and duly broke windows and committed -excesses on their way back.</p> - -<p>The City of London, now so overwhelmingly Conservative, was then, and -long after, violently Radical in its politics, and, consequently, must -needs present an address to the King, as, by prescriptive right, they -were entitled to do. The King received the Mayor and Corporation, -seated upon his throne, and to their address gave the following -diplomatic answer:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page87" name="page87"></a>(p. 87)</span> "I receive, with satisfaction, the expression of your - loyalty and attachment to my person and government, and of your - confidence in my Constitutional advisers.</p> - - <p>"You may be assured of my sincere desire to uphold and to improve - the securities afforded by the Constitution, for the maintenance - of the just rights of my people, and you may rely on my continued - disposition to further the adoption of such measures as may seem - best calculated for that purpose. For the safe and successful - accomplishment of such measures, it is, above all things, - necessary that they should be discussed with calmness and - deliberation; and I earnestly recommend to you to use all the - influence you justly possess, with your fellow citizens, for the - purpose of preserving the public peace from any interruption by - acts of violence and commotion."</p> -</div> - -<p>So serious were these riots thought, that extraordinary military -precautions were taken, as we read in the <cite>Globe</cite> of October 11th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"A double guard of the first regiment of household cavalry is - placed at the Horse Guards, and a horse patrol is parading in St. - James's Park. A party of eighty of the same regiment is lying at - the gun house, near the long gun in St. James's Park. An extra - guard was ordered at the Magazine in Hyde Park yesterday morning. - Orders were also sent to Woolwich to have the artillery in - readiness, should occasion require their presence in the - metropolis. The troops in Hounslow barracks are also in a state - for immediate service. Large quantities of ammunition have been - delivered out to the troops at their respective barracks and - quarters, and even the recruits at the recruiting house are under - arms."</p> - -<p>London, however, had had enough of rioting. Not so, in the country, -notably at Bristol, where they rivalled the celebrated Lord George -Gordon riots of 1780. It began with the advent of Sir Charles -Wetherell, the Recorder of the City, on <span class="pagenum"><a id="page88" name="page88"></a>(p. 88)</span> October 29th, to hold -the Sessions there. He had voted against the Reform Bill, and was -mobbed and stoned. He eventually opened the Sessions, and retired to -the Mansion House, before which a mob of some ten thousand people were -assembled. The mayor came forward, begged of them to depart, and read -the Riot Act. Much they cared for that, for they knew there were no -military, and the police force was totally inadequate to cope with -them; so they made an attack on the Mansion House, to get at the -obnoxious Recorder, who managed to make his escape and left the city.</p> - -<p>They were about to set fire to the Mansion House, when the troops -arrived. The colonel cautioned the people, but they would not -disperse, and a charge was ordered, in which some of the mob received -severe sabre cuts, and one man was shot dead. The night passed fairly -quietly, owing to the soldiers parading the town and preventing the -crowd uniting.</p> - -<p>The next day, being Sunday, and things seeming pretty quiet, the -soldiers, who had been on duty for twenty-four hours, were dismissed -for refreshment; but they had scarcely disappeared, when the rioters -again assembled, attacked the Mansion House, sacked it, and got raving -drunk on the contents of its cellar—so much so, that several died -from drunkenness. The troops were again called out, but were received -with such a shower of stones and bricks, that it was deemed prudent to -withdraw them; but whilst this was being done, they were attacked -again <span class="pagenum"><a id="page89" name="page89"></a>(p. 89)</span> and again, until they fired in self-defence, killing -several persons.</p> - -<p>The mob then attacked the Bridewell, liberated the prisoners, and set -fire to the building. They then went to the New Gaol, sacked the -governor's house, broke open the gaol, and released the -prisoners—after which they set the building on fire. Then they burnt -the Tollgates, after which they released the prisoners in Gloucester -County Gaol, and set fire to it; so that three prisons were in flames -at the same time.</p> - -<p>Then they set fire to the Mansion House and the Bishop's Palace, after -which they burnt many houses and the Custom House, where there was -some loss of life: altogether, that day, they completely destroyed -forty-two dwelling-houses, besides the public buildings already -mentioned; whilst, round about the scene of devastation, lay many of -the rioters in the last stage of senseless intoxication, with -countenances more resembling fiends than men.</p> - -<p>Meantime the soldiers, who had been ordered out of the city, were -brought back; and the magistrates, having re-assembled, came, at -length, to a decision, and called out the <i lang="la">posse comitatus</i>. The -military were then ordered to clear the streets—an order which was -fulfilled to the letter by a party of the troops, which had -experienced some rough treatment, and had, in consequence, fired upon -the people on the previous day. Nothing was to be seen on every side -but women and children, running screaming in <span class="pagenum"><a id="page90" name="page90"></a>(p. 90)</span> every direction, -many being severely wounded, and some killed. The number of casualties -were never known; but it was said that the killed and wounded did not -exceed 100. Of the dead, as far as could be ascertained, 6 were burnt, -2 shot, 2 died of sword-cuts, and 2 from excessive drinking. Of the -wounded, 10 were injured by shots, 48 by sword-cuts, 2 by drinking, -and 34 from other causes. Many prisoners were taken, and 180 were -committed for trial, 50 of whom were capitally charged with rioting -and burning. There were, also, riots at Bath, Coventry, and Worcester, -but they were child's play compared to that at Bristol.</p> - -<p>About this time there was great talk of one Edward Irving, pastor of -the Scotch National Church, in Regent Square, and the miraculous gift -of tongues. In London, at all events, this peculiar manifestation -seems to have commenced on Sunday, October 9th, when Mr. Irving -delivered two sermons on the extraordinary gifts of the Spirit, on -which occasions the congregation was disturbed by individuals speaking -in unknown language. During the morning's sermon, a lady (Mrs. Hall), -thus singularly endowed, was compelled to retire to the vestry, where -she was unable (so she said) to restrain herself, and spoke for some -time in the unknown tongue, to the great surprise of the congregation. -In the evening a Mr. Tamplin did the same, creating great confusion. -Next Sunday a Mr. Carsdale was similarly affected, and these -manifestations, afterwards, became common.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page91" name="page91"></a>(p. 91)</span> The accompanying illustration is by Seymour, and purported to -be sketched from life. It is called, "The Unknown Tongues—Daybreak at -the National Scotch Church, Regent Square. <cite>Refrain from these Men</cite>, -etc., Acts iv." Irving is seated, Mr. Tamplin is standing with an open -book, Mrs. Hall is one of the ladies, and Mr. Carsdale leans his head -on his hand.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img91.jpg" width="400" height="332" alt="" title="The Unknown Tongues." /> -</div> - -<p>The sect which Irving founded is still in existence, and is called by -its followers, "The Holy Catholic Apostolic Church." Their principal -place of worship is in a beautiful church in Gordon Square.</p> - -<p>The cholera was advancing step by step through <span class="pagenum"><a id="page92" name="page92"></a>(p. 92)</span> Europe, and it -became certain that England could not escape its visitation. As a -matter of precaution, the Board of Health, early in October, issued a -notice detailing the symptoms of the disease, and the remedies to be -applied in case of seizure. And, not content with trying earthly means -to avert the pestilence, the aid of Heaven was implored, and a form of -prayer, with that intent, was read in all the Metropolitan churches on -November 6th. But the "destroying angel" prayed against, came in due -course, and made its first appearance at Sunderland. The earliest -account I can find of it is in the <cite>Globe</cite> of November 11th, which -says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We have been favoured with the following official return from - Sunderland, received this morning by the Board of Health:—Four - deaths; seven new cases."</p> - -<p>That acute observer, Greville, writes under date November 14th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"For the last two or three days the reports from Sunderland about - the Cholera have been of a doubtful character. The disease makes - so little progress that the doctors begin, again, to doubt - whether it is the Indian Cholera, and the merchants, shipowners, - and inhabitants, who suffer from the restraints imposed upon an - infected place, are loudly complaining of the measures which have - been adopted, and strenuously insisting that their town is in a - more healthy state than usual, and the disease is no more than - what it is usually visited with at this season.</p> - - <p>"In the mean time all preparations are going on in London, just - as if the disorder was actually on its way to the metropolis. We - have a Board at the Council Office, between which, and the Board - at the College, some civilities have passed, and the latter is - now ready to yield up its functions to the former, which, - however, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page93" name="page93"></a>(p. 93)</span> will not be regularly constituted without much - difficulty and many jealousies, all owing to official - carelessness and mismanagement. The Board has been diligently - employed in drawing up suggestions and instructions to local - boards and parochial authorities, and great activity has - prevailed here, in establishing committees for the purposes of - visiting the different districts of the metropolis, and making - such arrangements as may be necessary, in the event of sickness - breaking out. There is no lack of money or labour for this end, - and one great good will be accomplished, let what will happen, - for much of the filth and misery of the town will be brought to - light, and the condition of the poorer and more wretched of the - inhabitants can hardly fail to be ameliorated.</p> - - <p>"The reports from Sunderland exhibit a state of human misery, and - necessarily, of moral degradation, such as I hardly ever heard - of, and it is no wonder, when a great part of that community is - plunged into such a condition (and we may fairly suppose that - there is a gradually mounting scale, with every degree of - wretchedness, up to the wealth and splendour which glitter on the - surface of society), that there should be so many who are ripe - for any desperate scheme of revolution. At Sunderland, they say, - there are houses with 150 inmates, who are huddled five and six - in a bed. They are in the lowest state of poverty. The sick in - these receptacles are attended by an apothecary's boy, who brings - them (or, I suppose, tosses them) medicines, without distinction - or inquiry."</p> -</div> - -<p>It spread to Newcastle early in December, and thence to other -neighbouring places, until the returns were, on December 30th, as -follows:—</p> - -<table summary="Disease"> -<colgroup> -<col width="50%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -<col width="10%" /> -<col width="25%" /> -</colgroup> -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td colspan="3" class="center">Total cases from commencement of disease.</td> -<td class="center">Deaths.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Sunderland</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">528</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">197</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Newcastle</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">286</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">99</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>North Shields and Tynemouth</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">16</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">9</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Gateshead</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">143</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">55</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Houghton le Spring and Pensher</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">29</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">14</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Haddington</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">6</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">4</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Walker Colliery</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -</tr> -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page94" name="page94"></a>(p. 94)</span> It is impossible to give an account of this year without -noticing the state of Ireland. It began badly, for the peasantry -marched, in bands, throughout the country, demanding reduction of -rents and increase of wages; and threatening destruction to the -magistrates and gentry who should disobey or endeavour to resist. Nor -did they stop at threats. In January, a Mr. Blood (county Clare) was -murdered by ruffians introduced, for the purpose, by his own servants. -In the middle of February, a Mr. Synge, who had tenants on Church -lands, was pierced with four bullets in the neighbourhood of his own -house; and, only a week afterwards, a magistrate, in Tipperary, was -murdered by a band who entered his house to search for arms.</p> - -<p>The peasantry, in some parts, were in great distress. In the country, -as well as in the large towns, crowds were famishing for want of food, -and sinking into bodily sickness from want of clothing during the -inclemency of the winter. In only two baronies of the county of Mayo -there were stated to be, in the middle of February, twenty thousand -persons without any visible means of procuring food. The potato crop -had failed along the western coast of Ireland, and it was estimated -that in that district of the island there would be, almost -immediately, at least two hundred thousand persons in want of food. -Things were nearly as bad in Galway and Sligo, and in some other parts -of the island. Petitions were presented to Parliament praying for -relief, and the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page95" name="page95"></a>(p. 95)</span> Chancellor of the Exchequer proposed a vote of -£50,000 to be advanced to certain Commissioners, who should lend it, -on proper security, to be used in giving employment to the starving -population, in making roads, and similar public works.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img95.jpg" width="300" height="323" alt="" title="A man." /> -</div> - -<p>Then, again, there was the cry of the Repeal of the Union, and Daniel -O'Connell was to the fore, and soon began to show the physical force -at his command. He advertised that the trades of Dublin were to march -through its streets on December 27, 1830, and the Lord Lieutenant -forbad it, by proclamation, on December 25th, as being unlawful. -O'Connell then formed "The General Association of Ireland for the -<cite>Prevention of Unlawful Meetings</cite>, and for the protection and -exercise of the sacred Right of Petitioning <span class="pagenum"><a id="page96" name="page96"></a>(p. 96)</span> for the Redress of -Grievances." This was forbidden, as unlawfully meeting, by the Lord -Lieutenant on January 7th. He held meetings, however, and, on January -18th, he and his leading partisans were apprehended and taken before -the magistrates, and let out on bail. The same month true bills were -found against all concerned, and he availed himself of every legal -quibble. He first put in a demurrer, and pleaded, <em>Not guilty</em>; then -he withdrew his demurrer and pleaded <em>Guilty</em>; but neither he nor any -of the agitators were ever brought up for judgment.</p> - -<p>In the spring of the year, in some portions of Ireland, notably in -Clare, Roscommon, Galway, and Tipperary, the law seemed no longer to -exist. Murder, robbery, searching for arms, etc., were done by bodies -of men who could only be met by military force, and were the ordinary -occurrences of every day. The lord lieutenant made a progress through -the disturbed districts, hoping thereby to restore tranquillity. He -was neither insulted nor murdered, but he did no good, and matters -remained as they were.</p> - -<p>It is impossible to notice all the cases of outrage, but I will give -two as being typical. On June 18th, certain cattle, which had been -impounded for the payment of tithe, were to be sold at Newton Barry in -the County of Wexford. On the day of the intended sale, which happened -to be market day, the populace were called to act, by the following -placard:—</p> - -<p class="quote"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page97" name="page97"></a>(p. 97)</span> "Inhabitants of the parish of St. Mary, Newton Barry, - there will be an end to Church plunder; your pot, blanket, and - pig will not, hereafter, be sold by auction, to support in - luxury, idleness and ease, persons who endeavour to make it - appear that it is essential to the peace and prosperity of the - country and your eternal salvation, while the most of you are - starving. Attend to an auction of your neighbour's cattle, on - Saturday next, the 18th instant, seized for tithe by the Rev. - Alexander M'Clintock."</p> - -<p>The police were thus put upon their guard, and a body of yeomanry was -in readiness. The populace interfered with the sale, and the police -with the populace. The yeomanry had to act in support of the police. -The consequence was that twelve or thirteen of the populace were -killed by the fire of the yeomanry, and about twenty wounded. The -coroner's jury, after sitting for nine days, returned no verdict. Six -Protestants, who were upon it, and six Catholics, being, it is said, -directly opposed to each other in opinion. The Crown directed its -officers to make an investigation, in consequence of which, bills of -indictment were presented, at the Wexford Assizes, in July, against -certain of the yeomanry, including the captain who commanded them, and -a sergeant.</p> - -<p>The prosecution was conducted by the Crown, in conjunction with the -next of kin of the parties killed. The bills charged murder; the grand -jury ignored them all, but expressed their readiness to entertain -bills for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant. The counsel -for the next of kin refused to co-operate with the crown in trying for -the minor charge, but the Crown counsel declared that the case -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page98" name="page98"></a>(p. 98)</span> must be gone through, whatever the next of kin might choose to -do. Bills for manslaughter against the captain and sergeant were then -sent up. The bill against the former was ignored, a true bill was -found against the latter. He was put upon his trial, but the witnesses -had disappeared. The trial was postponed till the following day, but -then, too, not one of them was forthcoming, and the case was delayed -till the next assizes.</p> - -<p>At Knocktopher, in the county of Kilkenny, on December 14th, a chief -constable, with a strong party of police, went out to protect a -process server in the execution of his legal duty, in serving the -usual process for refused tithe. There were neither military nor -yeomanry. The population prepared for murder. The sides of the road -and the adjacent fields were covered with people armed with bludgeons, -scythes, pitchforks, and other deadly weapons. They ferociously -demanded that the process server should be delivered up to them. The -police having refused, the crowd closed upon them in a narrow lane, -overpowered them, and murdered twelve or thirteen of them, besides -dangerously wounding several of the party.</p> - -<p>Among the killed was the captain of the police. The accounts were that -his son, about ten years old, who accompanied his father, riding on a -pony, was inhumanly butchered. The pony which the child rode was -stabbed to death. Five of the police, who showed some symptoms of -life, after being barbarously beaten with bludgeons, as they lay -insensible on the ground, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page99" name="page99"></a>(p. 99)</span> had their brains knocked out by a -peasant's son, not more than twelve or fourteen years old, who was -armed with a scythe.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img99.jpg" width="400" height="502" alt="" title="Hats." /> -</div> - -<p>The country people, after satiating their vengeance on the bleeding -bodies of the murdered police, by <span class="pagenum"><a id="page100" name="page100"></a>(p. 100)</span> kicking and stabbing them, -retired to their homes and usual occupations, with as much -indifference as if they had just performed some meritorious deed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img100.jpg" width="500" height="433" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>On preceding page are given illustrations of a bonnet, hat, turban, -and caps, as worn during the year, and, here, the different styles of -hair-dressing fashionable in 1830-31.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page101" name="page101"></a>(p. 101)</span> CHAPTER X.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1832.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Commissions at Bristol and Nottingham — Executions — Employment of - children in factories — Cholera in London — Day of fast and - humiliation — Riot in Finsbury — Cholera riot at Paisley — A small - one in London — Decrease of cholera — Number of deaths — Cholera in - Ireland — A charm against it — Its effect on rooks — The police, - City and Metropolitan.</p> - -<p>The excesses at Bristol could not, possibly, be passed over, and a -Commission, consisting of the Lord Chief Justice and two judges, met -on January 2nd, to try the rioters. Various sentences of -transportation and imprisonment were passed, and four men were hanged -on January 27th. They were Christopher Davis, convicted of having -encouraged the mob to commit acts of plunder and desolation; William -Clarke, for having assisted in destroying the Gaol and Bridewell; and -Joseph Kayes and Thomas Gregory, for having formed part of a mob that -pillaged and burnt two dwelling-houses. Davis had retired from his -business, which was that of a carrier, and in which he had amassed -about £2000. Clarke, who had connections possessing considerable -property, was a sawyer; the other two were common labourers. Colonel -Brereton was court martialed for firing on the rioters, which so -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page102" name="page102"></a>(p. 102)</span> preyed upon his mind, that he shot himself on January 14th, -during his trial.</p> - -<p>Another Commission sat at Nottingham to try the rioters there, and -three men were hanged.</p> - -<p>Parliament met on December 6, 1831, and, of course, the principal -business of the Session was the Reform Bill. But there were social as -well as Parliamentary reforms urgently needed, one of which was the -employment of children in factories, which had been much abused. -Petitions poured in, in favour of shorter working hours for them, and -other ameliorations of their condition. Richard Oastler, popularly -known as "The Factory King," a staunch Tory and Churchman, and one of -the most popular political leaders among the working-men in the West -Riding of Yorkshire, championed their cause; and I will give an -extract from a speech of his at a meeting held at Huddersfield, to -petition Parliament on their behalf. Said he—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Take, then, a little captive, and I will not picture fiction to - you, but I will tell you what I have seen. Take a little captive - six years old; she shall rise from her bed at four o'clock in the - morning, of a cold winter's day; but, before that, she wakes, - perhaps half a dozen times, and says, 'Father, is it time? - Father, is it time?' And, at last, when she gets up, and puts her - little bits of rags upon her weary limbs—weary with the last - day's work—she trudges onward, through rain and snow, to the - mill, perhaps two miles, or, at least, one mile; and there, for - thirteen, fourteen, fifteen, sixteen, seventeen, or even eighteen - hours, she is obliged to work, with only thirty minutes interval. - (Shame.) The girl I am speaking of died; but she dragged on that - dreadful existence for several years. Homewards again at night - she would go, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page103" name="page103"></a>(p. 103)</span> when she was able; but, many a time she - hid herself in the wool at the mill, as she had not strength to - go. (Hear.) But this is not an isolated case. I wish it were."</p> - -<p>A correspondent writing to the <cite>Times</cite>, March 16, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The children are frequently reduced to such insensibility, as - not to know when they have finished their cardings, but their - hands and feet have continued to perform the evolutions of their - work. Many times, of an evening, when I have passed on from child - to child in a woollen mill, each has turned up its little face, - and anxiously inquired, 'What o'clock is't?' I have answered, - 'Seven.' 'Seven?' was the rejoinder, 'Why, it's three hours to - ten, isn't it? We moan't gee up till ten and past.' This, - delivered in a melancholy tone, has made me thus reflect as I - returned home: 'I know that you must remain at work till past - ten. I know, also, that you are called out of bed at five in the - morning, and although it may be eleven at night before you reach - home, you must again leave your beds at five; and this, too, - every morning in the year, Sundays excepted. Many of you will - have to grope about in the dark for the greasy rags which - scarcely cover you. No matter, you must face all weathers. Though - the roads be choked with snow, and the frost would make the - strongest shiver, let the winds roar, or the rain fall, still - there must be no delay. At five every morning you must leave your - humble homes, and, lamentable to reflect, ye 'moan't gee up till - ten and past.'"</p> - -<p>On the second reading of the "Factories Regulation Bill," March 16th, -Mr. Sadler, in the course of a very long speech, made the following -statement:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The following were the hours of labour imposed upon the children - and young persons employed in a certain establishment last - summer. Monday morning, commence work at six o'clock; at nine, - half an hour for breakfast; begin again at half-past nine, and - work till twelve. Dinner, one hour; work from one till half-past - four. Drinking (afternoon meal), half an hour; work from - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page104" name="page104"></a>(p. 104)</span> five to eight; rest, half an hour; work from half-past - eight till twelve (midnight); an hour's rest. One in the morning - till five, work; half an hour's rest; half-past five till nine; - breakfast; half-past nine till twelve. Dinner; work from one till - half-past four. Again from five till nine on the Tuesday evening, - when the labour concluded, and the gang of adult and infant - slaves were dismissed for the night, after having toiled - thirty-nine hours with nine intervals for refreshment (but none - for bed), amounting to six hours only, in the whole. Wednesday - and Thursday, day work only. On Friday morning till Saturday - night, the same labour repeated, with the same intermissions as - endured on Monday, Monday night, and Tuesday; only the labour of - the last day closed at five, when the poor wretches were - dismissed. The ensuing day, Sunday, must, under such - circumstances, be a day of stupor, to rouse the children from - which would often only be to continue their physical sufferings, - without the possibility of compensating them with any moral - good."</p> - -<p>But no definite action was taken in the matter until the following -year, when I shall have occasion to again allude to it.</p> - -<p>In the middle of February the cholera made its appearance in London, -in the parish of St. Anne's, Limehouse. On the 12th, a woman, named -Fergusson, was attacked by the disease and conveyed to the workhouse. -She died in eight hours. On the same day another woman and her -daughter died in the same place.</p> - -<p>Greville tells us something about its commencement, under date -February 14th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"In the meantime the cholera has made its appearance in London, - at Rotherhithe, Limehouse, and in a ship off Greenwich. In all, - seven cases. These are amongst the lowest and most wretched - classes, chiefly Irish; and a more lamentable exhibition <span class="pagenum"><a id="page105" name="page105"></a>(p. 105)</span> - of human misery than that given by the medical men who called at - the Council Office yesterday I never heard. They are in the most - abject state of poverty, without beds to lie upon. The men live - by casual labour, are employed by the hour, and often get no more - than four or five hours' employment in the course of the week. - They are huddled and crowded together by families in the same - room, not as permanent lodgers, but procuring a temporary - shelter; in short, in the most abject state of physical privation - and moral degradation that can be imagined. On Saturday we had an - account of one or more cases. We sent, instantly, down to inspect - the district and organize a Board of Health. A meeting was - convened, and promises given that all things needful should be - done; but, as they met at a public-house, they all got drunk and - did nothing. We have sent down members of the Board of Health to - make preparations and organize Boards; but, if the disease really - spreads, no human power can arrest its progress through such an - Augæan stable."</p> - -<p>And no doubt but that, according to their lights, at that time, they -did all they could to prevent its spread, but sanitary science was in -its infancy—water and food were not analyzed as now. Chemistry and -medicine were very far behind the present date, and as to "bacilli," -they were never dreamt of.</p> - -<p>But they could set apart a day for a "general fast and humiliation"—</p> - -<p class="quote">"For obtaining pardon for our sins, and averting the heavy - judgments which our manifold provocations have most justly - deserved; and, particularly, for beseeching God to remove from us - that grievous disease with which several places in the kingdom - are at this time visited."</p> - -<p>And they chose Wednesday, March 21st.</p> - -<p>Different people take different views as to the observance of a fast -day. Here and in Scotland, it <span class="pagenum"><a id="page106" name="page106"></a>(p. 106)</span> means a day's holiday and -excursion by rail or boat. On this occasion the Political Union of the -Working Classes invited them to assemble in Finsbury Square, where -they would celebrate the fast day with a meal of bread and meat, which -would be provided for them, after which they would perambulate the -metropolis in procession. This attracted the lower classes and the -poorer labouring men, many of whom were in the greatest possible -distress and destitution, and, in spite of a warning proclamation from -the Home Secretary, some twelve thousand or fourteen thousand -assembled in the square by eleven o'clock, and before two there must -have been twenty-five thousand present. But none of the Trades' -Unionists had made their appearance, nor had any of the promised -cartloads of provisions. The mob amused themselves by hooting and -pelting the police with stones and other missiles, and, as there could -not have been less than one thousand to one thousand five hundred -police in the square, besides heavy reinforcements contingent, -Commissioner Mayne gave orders for the square to be cleared, which was -soon done, though not without injury to police and populace. Some -abortive attempts at processions were made, but they were soon -dispersed by the police.</p> - -<p>All kinds of rumours were abroad among the ignorant poor with regard -to the medical profession and cholera patients. It was said that they -poisoned them or used their bodies for dissection; and on this -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page107" name="page107"></a>(p. 107)</span> latter count there was a serious riot at Paisley, on March -24th. It came about in this way. As a preparation for the approach of -cholera, a new burial ground had been laid out at Paisley, in which -were interred all of the lowest class who died of that disease. Some -boys having discovered two small shovels and a cord with a hook at its -end concealed beneath a small bridge leading from a country road near -the new burial ground, took them to the town and exhibited them there.</p> - -<p>The public mind was so excited by the supposition that those dying of -cholera were being transferred from their graves to the -dissecting-table, that a crowd collected and commenced opening the -graves, in one of the first of which an empty coffin was found. It -must be recollected that at that time "resurrectionism," or -"body-snatching," was in full vogue, to provide subjects for the -dissecting room; that Burke had been hanged at Edinburgh in 1829, and -Bishop at London in 1831, for having committed murder with this -object.</p> - -<p>The crowd rapidly increased, and, as more graves were opened, several -were found untenanted. This excited the mob, who began by demolishing -the cemetery fence. The magistrates assembled for the preservation of -the public peace, and it was instantly agreed that a reward of £50 -should be offered for the discovery of the offenders.</p> - -<p>This had scarcely been resolved on before the crowd arrived in the -town, bearing an empty coffin. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page108" name="page108"></a>(p. 108)</span> Notwithstanding the efforts of -the magistrates, they proceeded through the town, broke the windows of -all the surgeons' houses and shops, those of the hospital, and then -demolished the cholera hearse, and, as far as possible, everything -connected with the establishment. The first time the crowd (which -consisted mainly of lads and Irishmen) visited the hospital, they were -persuaded to desist from their work of destruction; but, after taking -a turn through the town, they came back, broke the windows, forced -open the gate, and did other mischief. A patient in the hospital was -struck on the head with a stone, and had it slightly cut. He called -for protection against such treatment, and expired shortly afterwards. -Another patient, who had recovered, and who was to have been dismissed -from the hospital that day, relapsed.</p> - -<p>There was, also, a small cholera riot in London, as we read in the -<cite>Times</cite>, March 31st—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Yesterday afternoon, between two and three o'clock, the - neighbourhood of Barratt's Court, Edward Street, Portman Square, - was thrown into a state of violent uproar and confusion, in - consequence of the messengers of the Marylebone Board of Health - attempting to move to the cholera hospital in Nutford Place, - Edgware Road, an Irishman, named John Heron, who was suddenly - taken ill on Thursday (March 29th), and who was alleged to have - been attacked with cholera. The messengers brought with them the - usual sedan chair to carry away the patient, and were attended by - five of the police force of the D division, to prevent any - interruption being offered them in taking the man away. They had - no sooner arrived opposite the house, than they were assailed - with groans, hisses, and yells of a most discordant <span class="pagenum"><a id="page109" name="page109"></a>(p. 109)</span> - character, from a number of Heron's countrymen, who expressed - their determination not to allow him to be removed out of his own - apartment.</p> - - <p>"The messengers, however, succeeded, after much difficulty, and - with the assistance of the police, who were compelled to use - their staves, in placing the man in the chair, and had proceeded - with him but a few yards, when a simultaneous rush of the Irish, - who had by this time assembled in the court to the number of - between five and six hundred, was made, and in an instant the - policemen were hemmed in by the crowd, and had their staves - wrested from them. A scene of the utmost confusion and disorder - then ensued; the sick man was dragged out of the chair, and - pulled about in a most violent and shameful manner; the chair was - broken to pieces, and, after much contention and disturbance, the - man was carried back to his lodging, amidst the shouts of the - victorious party, who declared they would resist any attempt that - might be made to remove him. The disturbance assumed such a - serious appearance at one time, that most of the neighbours - closed their shops for the remainder of the afternoon. The whole - of the neighbourhood remained in a state of excessive tumult - during the rest of the evening. The necessary measures were - afterwards taken by the police to preserve tranquillity."</p> -</div> - -<p>At the beginning of April, the cholera in London began to subside, -and, owing to the diminished number of cases, the Treasury, on April -6th, issued an order, reducing the number of the Medical Board. -Raikes, in his journal, says: "April 7.—From the daily reports, -cholera seems greatly subsiding; up to last night the grand total of -cases, since the commencement, are 7435, and deaths 2489." But it -continued the whole year, and the death returns for the whole kingdom, -from this cause, on December 3rd, were 95. The total deaths from -cholera in 1831-32, are put down as 59,547.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page110" name="page110"></a>(p. 110)</span> Ireland did not escape the visitation. On the contrary, the -disease there was very severe, and the <cite>Times</cite> of June 16th records -the following curious charm against it:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Dublin, June 5th.—These three days past the country has been in - an extraordinary state of excitement. Messengers are running and - riding through the counties Carlow, Kilkenny, Wicklow, West - Meath, Dublin, King and Queen's County, Meath, Wexford, and - Longford, leaving a small piece of turf (peat fuel), at every - cabin, with the following exhortation: 'The plague has broken - out, take this, and while it burns, offer up seven paters, three - aves, and a credo, in the name of God and the holy St. John, that - the plague may be stopped!' The messenger lays each householder - under an 'obligation,' as it is called, to kindle his piece of - turf, set fire to seven other pieces, quench them, and run - through the country to seven other houses, wherein no turf has - yet been left, and to repeat the same exhortation, under a - penalty of falling a victim to the cholera himself! Men, women, - and children are seen scouring the country in every direction, - with this charmed turf, each endeavouring to be foremost in - finding unserved houses. One man, yesterday, in the Bog of Allen, - had to run thirty miles ere he could fulfil his task.</p> - - <p>"The stories of its origin are various, but all agree that one - piece of turf was blessed by a priest, and thus sent through the - peasantry, where it multiplied itself and its powers of agitation - sevenfold in every new hand. Nothing like it has been heard of - since the time of the clan-gatherings. The police are on the - alert, and messengers have been arrested from Kilkenny, where the - blessed turf arrived at noon on Monday, to this city, where it - came pouring in last night. The authorities are suspicious of - Whitefeet conspiracy and secret intelligence, but nothing yet has - transpired to warrant this view of the affair. The higher classes - receive the blessed turf, and laugh at the thing as a hoax on the - peasantry, without troubling themselves in transmitting it - further; but the poorer householders are one and all in motion to - avert the cholera and the curse of disobedience attaching to - neglect.</p> - - <p>"No one knows where the holy fire was first kindled. There - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page111" name="page111"></a>(p. 111)</span> are various accounts. It is said that it was first sent - from Kilmayne, from Blessington, from New Ross and from Roscrea; - that lightning consumed houses in New Ross, and that the holy - turf was first kindled at its fire, etc.; but it is certain that - the whole of the central counties of Ireland are thrown into a - singular state of agitation. Yesterday, along the whole line of - the grand canal from Dublin to Shannon harbour, people might be - seen running. The captain of one of the packet boats that arrived - in the city last night saw a turf-cutter running along the bank - in the Bog of Allen to whom he owed some money for fuel. He - called to him, 'Paddy, get in, and I'll pay you now.'—'I can't,' - replied Paddy, still running, 'I've to serve seven houses yet - with the holy turf, and I'd rather lose the money than earn the - cholera.' The priests, in whose parishes this wildfire has - spread, confess themselves as ignorant of its origin as the - peasantry are."</p> -</div> - -<p>If we are to credit the <cite>Dublin Morning Register</cite>, the cholera had a -peculiar effect upon rooks—</p> - -<p class="quote">"In the demesne of the Marquis of Sligo, near Westport House, - there is one of the largest rookeries in the west of Ireland. On - the first, or second day of the appearance of cholera in this - place, I was astonished to observe that all the rooks had - disappeared; and, for three weeks, during which the disease raged - violently, these noisy tenants of the trees completely deserted - their lofty habitations. In the meantime, the Revenue police - found immense numbers of them lying dead upon the shore near - Erris, about ten miles distant. Upon the decline of the malady, - within the last few days, several of the old birds have again - appeared in the neighbourhood of the rookery, but some of them - seemed unable, through exhaustion, to reach their nests. The - number of birds now in the rookery is not a sixth of what it had - been three months ago."</p> - -<p>The "New Police" worked so well, that the City, who have always had -the right of keeping their own watch and ward, followed their example. -We read in the <cite>Times</cite> of March 22nd—</p> - -<p class="quote"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page112" name="page112"></a>(p. 112)</span> "The race of street keepers, with their gold-laced coats - and hats, are about to be extinguished in their last - stronghold—the City. They are to be superseded by a new police - force, which is to patrol the streets by day only, and which is - to be paid and regulated on the model of the county police. A - hundred men have been chosen and measured for their suits of - blue."</p> - -<p>And again, March 31st—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The new City policemen, a hundred in number, will commence their - duties on Monday next (April 2nd). The Police Committee of - Aldermen will gratuitously perform the functions of - Commissioners, but there is to be a chief officer to direct the - whole system. Mr. Cope, the Marshal, has been appointed to this - duty with the title of Superintendent. Mr. Cowlan is named the - second, or rather, deputy Superintendent. Martin and Maclean, two - of the City Officers are appointed Inspectors. The scale of wages - which has been fixed in the county will be adopted in the City; - but the duty will be more severe, as the men will be on their - beats the whole day."</p> - -<p>This was the humble beginning of that force, which now comprises—1 -commissioner, 1 assistant ditto, 1 superintendent, 1 ditto detective -department, 3 chief inspectors, 15 district ditto, 22 station ditto, -12 detective ditto, 72 sergeants, 7 detective ditto, and 795 -constables; also 86 constables on private service duty.</p> - -<p>We can judge of the work performed by the "New Police" from January 1, -1831, to January 1832, from the Official Report. They apprehended no -less than 72,824 persons on different charges, viz. 45,907 males, and -26,917 females. Out of this number 2955 were committed for trial; -21,843 were summarily convicted before the magistrates; 24,239 -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page113" name="page113"></a>(p. 113)</span> were discharged by the magistrates; and 23,787 drunken -characters were discharged by the superintendents of police, at the -station-house, after they became sober. The number of persons charged -before the magistrates for being drunk were 7566; of this number, 3187 -were discharged, and 4379 fined five shillings; the numbers fined -being, respectively, 3185 males, and 1194 females. From the above -returns it seems that the police apprehended nearly 200 a day.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page114" name="page114"></a>(p. 114)</span> CHAPTER XI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1832.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Reform Bill passes the Commons — Scotch boys and the Reform - Bill — Proposed increase of the peerage — Passed in the Lords — "The - Marylebone or Tory Hunt" — The Duke of Wellington mobbed — The King - stoned — The Queen hissed — Archbishop of Canterbury stoned.</p> - -<p>Of course, the great topic of interest and conversation for the early -part of the year was the Reform Bill, the third reading of which was -passed on March 23rd by a majority of 116. What the Lords would do was -then all the talk. There were to be new peers created, whose numbers -would carry the Bill, or the Lords were to be abolished. We are used -to this cry, and we know what little sympathy it met with among the -people of Great Britain, but I doubt whether we can show such a -humorous anecdote of party feeling as that given by the <cite>Scotsman</cite>, -quoted by the <cite>Times</cite> of March 2nd—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The House of Lords routed.</span></p> - - <p>"On Saturday last, the Town-green pond at Dunfermline teemed with - <em>toads</em>, and, apparently, under extraordinary excitation. A - number of boys stood looking on intensely for some time, when one - of them exclaimed, 'It's the House of Lords debatin' the Reform - Bill.' In an instant, 'Demolish,' was the universal and - simultaneous cry. Caps and bonnets were filled <span class="pagenum"><a id="page115" name="page115"></a>(p. 115)</span> with - stones. 'Now for Wellington!' 'Here's at you, Londonderry!' 'Take - that, Buckingham!' 'The bishops, the bishops!' shouted a little - urchin. The 'hurra' became universal, and terrible was the work - of death. The above incident 'points a moral,' if it does not - 'adorn a tale.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>Anent the creation of new peers, there is an amusing skit in verse.</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">From the Hon. Henry —— to Lady Emma ——.</span></p> - -<p class="date">"Paris, <i>March 30</i>.</p> - - <p>"You bid me explain, my dear angry Ma'amselle,<br /> - How I came thus to bolt, without saying farewell;<br /> - And the truth is,—as truth you <em>will</em> have, my sweet railer,—<br /> - <span class="add1em">There are two worthy persons I always feel loth</span><br /> - To take leave of at starting, my mistress and tailor,—<br /> - <span class="add1em">As, somehow, one always has <em>scenes</em> with them both:</span><br /> - The Snip in ill-humour, the Syren in tears,<br /> - <span class="add1em">She calling on Heaven, and he on th' attorney,—</span><br /> - Till, sometimes, in short, 'twixt his duns and his dears,<br /> - <span class="add1em">A young gentleman risks being stopp'd on his journey.</span></p> - - <p>"But to come to the point:—though you think, I dare say<br /> - That 'tis debtor or Cholera drives me away,<br /> - 'Pon honour you're wrong; such a mere bagatelle<br /> - <span class="add1em">As a pestilence, nobody, nowadays, fears;</span><br /> - The fact is, my love, I'm thus bolting, pell-mell,<br /> - <span class="add1em">To get out of the way of these horrid new Peers;</span><br /> - This deluge of coronets, frightful to think of,<br /> - Which England is now, for her sins, on the brink of;—<br /> - This coinage of <em>nobles</em>, coined, all of them, badly,<br /> - And sure to bring counts to a <em>dis</em>count most sadly.</p> - - <p>"Only think, to have Lords overrunning the nation,<br /> - As plenty as frogs in a Dutch inundation;<br /> - No shelter from Barons, from Earls no protection,<br /> - And tadpole young Lords, too, in every direction,—<br /> - Things created in haste, just to make a Court list of,<br /> - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page116" name="page116"></a>(p. 116)</span> Two legs and a coronet, all they consist of!<br /> - The prospect's quite frightful, and what Sir George R—e<br /> - (My particular friend) says, is perfectly true,<br /> - That so dire the alternative, nobody knows,<br /> - 'Twixt the Peers and the Pestilence, what he's to do;<br /> - And Sir George even doubts,—could he choose his disorder,—<br /> - 'Twixt coffin and coronet, <em>which</em> he would order."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>In the House of Lords, on May 7th, Lord Lyndhurst moved the -postponement of the disenfranchising clause, which was carried, -against the Government by a majority of thirty-five. Next day, Earl -Grey and the Ministry resigned. The mob were enraged, and spoke evilly -of the King and Queen. The former applied in vain to the Tory party to -make a Government, but finding that useless, he was reduced to the -humiliating necessity of renewing his intercourse with his former -ministers (who returned to power), and had to swallow the leek as to -the creation of new peers. He had no objection to raising to the -peerage eldest sons of peers, or of rehabilitating dormant peerages, -but he had a wholesome horror of creating an enormous quantity of -peers simply to coerce the House of Lords and pass a measure to which -they were opposed. Good sense, however, prevailed: the peers did what -they always have done, bowed to overwhelming popular opinion—amended -the Bill somewhat—and on the 4th of June the Bill was read a third -time in the House of Lords, and passed, one hundred and six peers -voting for it, and twenty-two against it. The amendments introduced -by the peers were agreed to on the following <span class="pagenum"><a id="page117" name="page117"></a>(p. 117)</span> day by the House -of Commons, without any discussion regarding their merits, though not -without much angry remark in attack and defence of the conduct of -ministers in the late events. On the 7th of June, the Royal Assent was -given by commission, and the great bugbear of King William's reign was -laid at rest.</p> - -<p>Such a consummation was undoubtedly due to the conduct of the Duke of -Wellington and Sir Robert Peel at this crisis; and, indeed, that this -was the general feeling, is shown by the accompanying satirical print -by H. B., in which we see these two statesmen using their best -endeavours to keep Sir George Grey firm in his very insecure position. -(<i>See next page.</i>)</p> - -<p>The party passions of the mob ran very high both before and after the -passing of the Bill, and led to some excesses, two or three examples -of which are worth recording. The <cite>Times</cite>, May 16th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The Marylebone, or Tory Hunt.</span></p> - - <p>"During the proceedings of the great Reform meeting of the - parishes of St. Marylebone, St. Pancras, and Paddington, rather a - ludicrous incident (as it turned out) occurred, which may, - properly enough, be denominated as above. In the immediate - vicinity of the spot on which the immense assemblage congregated, - some Tory lordlings had the temerity to make their appearance on - horseback, and, among the number, was recognized the - heir-apparent of that pink of Toryism, the Earl of Mansfield; no - sooner was this made known, than a thousand voices besieged the - affrighted lordlings' ears; they put spurs to beast, and - endeavoured to escape, but in vain; the Marylebonians gave - chase, but, instead of the cry "So, ho!" yells, groans, and even - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page118" name="page118"></a>(p. 118)</span> missiles were let fly. It was, really, a fine hunt—over - hedge, over ditch and bog; and, after a fine run of two miles, - the lordlings were surrounded, and, fortunately for them, their - cries for mercy were granted, and they were allowed to scamper - off, after such a chastisement as they will never forget."</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img118.jpg" width="200" height="448" alt="" title="Reform." /> -</div> - -<p>But, can any sane person imagine the mob, after the Bill had passed, -thanks to the efforts of the Duke of Wellington, attacking the hero -of Waterloo, on <span class="pagenum"><a id="page119" name="page119"></a>(p. 119)</span> the anniversary of that victory? Yet so it -was. On the 18th of June he had occasion to visit the Mint, and a -crowd of people collected on Tower Hill to see him return. On making -his appearance at the gate, he was loudly hissed and hooted by the -crowd, which increased every moment, until it amounted to several -hundred persons. Riding along the Minories surrounded by his -persecutors, he was met by Mr. Ballantine, one of the Thames police -magistrates, who asked him if he could render him any assistance. His -Grace replied in the negative, saying that he did not mind what was -going on.</p> - -<p>Nothing particular occurred, until the Duke reached the middle of -Fenchurch Street, when a man rushed forward from the crowd and, -catching hold of the reins of the horse's bridle with one hand, -endeavoured to dismount its rider with the other, and would have -succeeded, had it not been for the spirited conduct of the Duke's -groom, who came up at the time. The mob now was very great; but by the -exertions of the police his Grace was escorted through it and along -Cheapside without any personal injury. In Holborn, however, the mob, -not satisfied with words, began to throw stones and filth. The Duke -then rode to the chambers of Sir Charles Wetherell, in Stone -Buildings, Lincoln's Inn, the mob still following.</p> - -<p>What occurred afterwards, let Sir Edw. Sugden, afterwards Lord St. -Leonard's, tell in his own words<a id="footnotetag11" name="footnotetag11"></a><a href="#footnote11" title="Go to footnote 11"><span class="smaller">[11]</span></a>—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page120" name="page120"></a>(p. 120)</span> "On the 18th of June our Equity Courts were not sitting. - I was, therefore, in chambers; and, as I sat working near the - window on the ground floor, I was startled by three horsemen - passing towards Stone Buildings, with a mob at their heels, - shouting, hooting, and hissing. I sent my clerk to see what was - the matter, and, upon his return, finding that the Duke of - Wellington was the object of displeasure, I sent the clerk, with - some others, round to the men's chambers, to beg them to come at - once to protect the Duke. I found the Duke, with Lord Granville - Somerset, and Lord Eliot, had been to the Tower on official - business, and were then at the Chambers, in Stone Buildings, of - Mr. Maule, the Solicitor to the Treasury, with whom the Duke had - an appointment. In making my way to Mr. Maule's, I found a - considerable mob in Stone Buildings and its approaches, and their - conduct was most violent.</p> - - <p>"When I joined the Duke, we considered what was the best mode of - protecting him and his companions. He would not listen to any - mode of retreat by which he might avoid the mob. I assured him - that the Lincoln's Inn men would effectually prevent any - violence, and he determined to get on horseback again, and to - ride through the streets. I then went downstairs, and ordered the - small gate leading to Portugal Street to be shut and guarded, so - as to prevent the people getting round that way to interrupt us - when we went through the great gates into Carey Street; and I - ordered those gates to be shut as soon as the Duke had passed. I - addressed a few words to the gentlemen, who had assembled in - considerable numbers, and requested them to occupy the stone - steps which the Duke would have to descend, in order to reach his - horse. This they did, with great heartiness, and they exhibited, - I may say, a fierce determination to defend the Duke against all - comers. A butcher was bawling lustily against the Duke, when a - young gentleman, a solicitor, seized him by the collar with one - hand, and knocked him down with the other, and the mob seemed - rather amused at it. The Duke, upon my return upstairs, asked how - he was to find his way out of the Inn. I told him that I would - walk before him. He would allow no one to hold or touch his horse - whilst he mounted. He was pale, with a severe countenance, and - immovable in his saddle, and looked straight before him, and so - continued whilst I was with him. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page121" name="page121"></a>(p. 121)</span> Lords Granville - Somerset and Eliot rode on each side of him, and, of course, his - groom behind. I walked in front, and, shortly, a brother - barrister came up, and asked me if he might walk with me. I - gladly accepted his arm, and we moved on, the mob, all the time, - being in a state of fury. When we reached Lincoln's Inn Fields, a - policeman made his appearance, and, drawing his staff, prepared - for an onslaught. I called to him, and told him that the Duke's - progress was under my directions, and that I desired he would put - up his truncheon and keep himself quiet until I called upon him - to act, and that he would communicate this order to the other - policemen, as they came up. This kept them perfectly quiet. As we - proceeded, the noise of the mob attracted the workmen in the - shops and manufactories, particularly in Long Acre, where the - upper windows were quickly opened by workmen, who, with their - paper caps on, rushed to join the people; but nowhere was there - any personal violence offered to the Duke, and the respectable - portions of the crowd would promptly have crushed any attempt at - violence.</p> - - <p>"I had walked from the West End to my chambers that morning, and - I recollected that there was an excavation at the west end of - Long Acre, and a large mass of paving, and other stones collected - there. I ordered several of the police to go there, in advance, - quietly, and occupy the ground, so as to prevent any one from - making use of the stones. This they did; but, scandalous as the - conduct of the mob was, I must do them the justice to say that - they showed no disposition to get at the stones. When we reached - the West End streets, the people tailed off a good deal.</p> - - <p>"As the Duke passed the United Service Club, he maintained his - rigid posture, and cast no glance that way, whilst a few men who - had rushed out of the club upon hearing the noise, looked on with - wonder. Nothing more occurred; and, when we got opposite to the - clock of St. James's palace, I, for the first time, turned round, - and, there being only a few stragglers left, the Duke and his - companions shook hands with me, and thanked me; and, putting - their horses into a trot, reached Apsley House without further - annoyance."</p> -</div> - -<p>More stone-throwing—this time at the King! This <span class="pagenum"><a id="page122" name="page122"></a>(p. 122)</span> happened -next day, June 19th, when the King was at Ascot races. He was looking -out of a window in the royal stand, when two stones were thrown from -the midst of the crowd below, one of which struck his Majesty severely -on the forehead, but his hat saved him from any injury. The king -immediately stood up, and was received with the loudest cheers. The -culprit turned out to be a discharged Greenwich pensioner, who took -this way of making his grievances known. It is not worth while to -trace what became of him, but I know that his punishment was light.</p> - -<p>But the King was not then popular, and as to the Queen, she was very -much disliked. It was currently said that she exercised too much -influence over the weak monarch, and that her influence was not for -people's good. Very many skits are in existence on the subject, as -well as satirical prints representing her wearing the regal breeches, -etc. The following extract from the <cite>Times</cite> of June 27th, relative to -a review held in Hyde Park on the previous day, will show the popular -feeling at the time:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"When the King and Queen entered the Park, the people, who had - lined both sides of the road, received them in profound silence. - As they proceeded on their route, a few bystanders, here and - there, took off their hats and cheered, but they never amounted - to more than a dozen at any one time. The applause of these - persons was sometimes opposed by a hiss from others, but the - great mass of the people remained entirely passive.... Shortly - before two o'clock, their Majesties quitted the ground. The - people had, by this time, assembled in great numbers along the - road. His Majesty was received with mingled applause and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page123" name="page123"></a>(p. 123)</span> - disapprobation; but the Queen, who was exposed to the public - gaze, her carriage having been thrown open since her arrival, was - assailed with loud yells. In this way, the Royal party proceeded - through Hyde Park, and down Constitution Hill, where the - disapprobation of the mob was more unequivocally expressed, and - continued, without a single attempt, as far as we could perceive, - to turn the current of feeling, until their Majesties entered the - gardens of St. James's Palace, amidst a shout of the most - discordant sounds."</p> - -<p><i lang="fr">Rien n'est sacré pour un sapeur.</i> Not even the Archbishop of -Canterbury in his own cathedral town! On August 7th, his Grace drove -into Canterbury to hold a primary visitation of the diocese, and, as -usual, the Corporation received him at the Guildhall; but, no sooner -had his carriage appeared in sight, than the most deafening noises -rent the air; and, when he arrived at the Guildhall, the groans and -hisses were tremendous. After dessert, his carriage was ready and his -Grace stepped in, evidently much alarmed. The hisses and groans were -now renewed, and missiles of every description hurled at the -carriage—hats, caps, pieces of brickbat, cabbage-stalks, indeed, -everything the ruffians could collect. To make matters worse, the -postillion missed his way, and had to return, thus running the -gauntlet a second time. When his Grace entered the precincts of the -cathedral, the large gates were instantly closed; but several hundred -persons had previously gained admission, and ranged themselves within -the walls of the deanery, where hisses and groans prevailed. His Grace -received no injury, although one of the carriage windows was broken.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page124" name="page124"></a>(p. 124)</span> CHAPTER XII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1832.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">The first reformed Parliament — Steam communication with - India — State of Ireland — Lawless behaviour — Malversation of - justice — O'Connell and the Trades' Political Union — Crime in - Ireland.</p> - -<p>On August 16th the King in person prorogued Parliament, and on -December 3rd it was dissolved, by proclamation, and the country was -plunged into all the turmoil of a General Election. This was to be the -first reformed Parliament, and all sorts of evils arising from its -democratic tendencies were prophesied. But it turned out better than -was expected. It was reserved to our later days for the title of -Member of Parliament to be turned almost into a byword and reproach; -and some of the persons who sat in the parliament of 1892-5 would not -have been tolerated, nor could their speeches and remarks have been -delivered. True, there was not a prize-fighter in that parliament, as -there was in the first reformed one, but John Gully, the member for -Pontefract, was respectable after his kind. From a butcher boy he -became a pugilist, and William IV., as Duke of Clarence, witnessed his -first fight, in 1805, with the "Game Chicken." Then he turned a -publican, and retired from the ring in 1808. He then became a -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page125" name="page125"></a>(p. 125)</span> betting man and owner of racehorses, was a temporary royal -page at the coronation of George IV., made a lot of money in his -profession, bought Ackworth Park, near Pontefract, which little pocket -borough he sat for from December 10, 1832 to July 17, 1837.</p> - -<p>Worthy of note is it that an iron steam vessel, built for the East -India Company, and intended to be employed as a towing vessel on the -Ganges, was taken on a trial trip, on October 13th, down the Thames, -having the chairman and several members of the court of directors of -the Hon. East India Company on board. This, certainly, was in advance -of the times, and one can scarcely believe that the same body of men -could sanction the following letter, within a month afterwards:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="date">"East India House, November 8th.</p> - -<p><span class="smcap">Sir</span>,</p> - - <p>I have laid before the Court of Directors of the East India - Company your letter of the 25th October, on the subject of - communication by means of steam vessels between England and - India, by the Mediterranean and the Red Sea; and, in reply, I am - commanded to inform you that the Court, after a long and careful - consideration of the subject, have been convinced that no - advantage commensurate with the expense, as far as past - experiments have shown, can arise from the establishment of steam - packets on that line."</p> -</div> - -<p>Ireland had not improved during the last twelve months; resistance to -the payment of tithes had become open and systematic, and the question -of the Repeal of the Union was openly advocated. Notices <span class="pagenum"><a id="page126" name="page126"></a>(p. 126)</span> -were scattered all over the country bidding the people to refrain from -paying tithes, and threatening the police, should they interfere, with -a similar fate to their brethren at Knocktopher, which has already -been described. Says the <cite>Annual Register</cite>—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Nor were these merely empty denunciations. The house and the - barn-yard of the tithepayer were reduced to ashes; his cattle - were houghed, or scattered all over the country; or, as happened - in the County of Carlow, hunted over precipices. There was no - mode of destroying property which ingenuity could invent, or - reckless daring perpetrate, but was called into exercise. - Scarcely a week elapsed which did not announce the cold-blooded - murder of a proctor, or a process server, or a constable, or of - some poor countryman who had thought himself bound to obey the - law, and to pay his debts.</p> - - <p>"An archdeacon in the neighbourhood of Cashel was in treaty with - his parishioners for a commutation of his tithes. They could not - agree on the yearly sum which he ought to receive. They - surrounded him in sight of his own house, in broad daylight, and - beat his head to pieces with stones. Several persons were - ploughing in the field in which he was murdered, but either would - not or dared not interfere. Whoever connected himself, in any - manner of way, with the collection of tithe, had not one single - hour's security for his property or his life. In the beginning of - February the Irish Government found it necessary to have recourse - to the "Peace Preservation Act," and proclaim certain baronies in - the County of Tipperary to be in a state of disturbance.</p> - - <p>"But a proclamation imposed no check on the outrages of men who - now deserved, from the openness of their attacks, the name of - insurgents. In the County of Westmeath, a body of two hundred of - them assaulted and attempted to disarm a sergeant's guard, and a - party of police stationed within a mile of a considerable town. - In the County of Donegal, they marched about in military array, - armed with guns, scythes, and pikes, compelling landlords to - sign obligations to reduce their rents, and to pay no <span class="pagenum"><a id="page127" name="page127"></a>(p. 127)</span> - tithe. In Kilkenny, their deeds were even still more atrocious. - They not only made domiciliary visits to compel the surrender of - arms, but accompanied their lawlessness with unrelenting personal - violence, and they perpetrated these enormities in the open face - of day. A large body divided itself into smaller detachments. The - latter took different directions to search the houses of farmers - and proprietors; and, when their work was finished, they again - united, at the sound of their horn, to renew their labours on the - following day.</p> - - <p>"In one instance they cruelly abused a farmer and his wife, - because they would not give up their daughter. They then searched - the house, found the young woman, who had concealed herself, and - carried her off. A farm had been standing unoccupied because, on - account of some unpopularity attached to its owner, no tenant - would venture to take it. A tenant at last had entered upon it; a - new house was built for him. He was immediately visited by these - Irish legislators, and compelled, on pain of death, to give up - his farm and his house. A farmer having refused to surrender a - pair of pistols to a body of these wretches, they dragged him to - the hearth, raked down the fire upon his feet, and continued this - torture until their object was accomplished.</p> - - <p>"An end was put, not merely to the payment of tithe, but to the - payment of rent. A tenant ejected for non-payment was sure to - have his revenge. If a new tenant entered, he had only to expect - that his property would be committed to the flames, or he himself - shot. The terror which was thus universally propagated went far - to secure immunity to the offenders. To be connected with any - attempt to execute the law against murderers, incendiaries, or - robbers, was itself a high crime. To betray any activity in - preserving order, was to become a marked man; to become a marked - man was to be made the victim of open violence or hidden - assassination.</p> - - <p>"The parties accused of the murder of a process server and a - captain of police, at the end of the preceding year, were brought - to trial at the Kilkenny Assizes in March. But, after the assizes - began, the Attorney-General found it necessary to delay the - trials. He stated that there was such an extensive combination - throughout the country to resist the payment of tithes, and to - protect all <span class="pagenum"><a id="page128" name="page128"></a>(p. 128)</span> who might be implicated, that the ends of - justice could not be attained. A juror had objected to serve on - the ground that, if he gave a verdict 'against the people,' his - life and property would be in danger. The witnesses, too, were - either under the same intimidation, or were, themselves, members - of the illegal combinations....</p> - - <p>"The Government at length seemed to think it time to try whether - the law could not reach the tumultuary assemblies of the - anti-tithe men and the ringleaders who collected them. The - Vice-Lieutenant of the county of Kilkenny was dismissed from his - office. A circular was addressed to the magistracy by the Irish - Government, directing them to disperse all meetings collected in - such numbers as to produce alarm and endanger the public peace, - or distinguished by banners, inscriptions, or emblems which - tended to disturbance, or throw contumely on the law. O'Connell - denounced this circular as illegal, and expressed his hope that a - reformed Parliament would not hesitate to receive an impeachment - of the Irish Government founded upon it; but still he gave his - advice that it should be obeyed. In consequence of these - instructions, various large meetings were dispersed by the - military, headed by a magistrate; but, where the meeting was - strictly parochial, and quietly gone about, no opposition was - offered to their petitioning against tithe and church cess.</p> - - <p>"At the same time, a number of those persons of the better class, - who had played the principal part at meetings where a combined - scheme of disobedience was preached up, were arrested and held to - bail, on a charge of misdemeanour. Among them were two of - O'Connell's familiars, the president and vice-president of the - Trades' Political Union. The Grand Jury found true bills against - them, on the 4th of August, for having conspired, 'unlawfully,' - to oppose and resist the payment of tithes, and to frustrate the - remedies provided by law for the recovery of tithes, and for - soliciting and conspiring to procure the King's subjects to hold - no intercourse with any persons who should pay tithes.</p> - - <p>"Following the example of O'Connell, when he was in a similar - predicament, they set their wits to work to gain time. Costello - took advantage of his legal privilege, to traverse to the next - Commission; the others pleaded in abatement, that some of the - Grand Jurors who had found the bills, were not seised of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page129" name="page129"></a>(p. 129)</span> - freeholds in the County of Dublin. A number of arrests took - place, at the same time, in the county of Tipperary. Among the - persons held to bail was Lord Galway, who had filled the chair at - an anti-tithe meeting held in the neighbourhood of Clonmel....</p> - - <p>"Before the end of the year they were brought to trial, and the - majority of them, after a few convictions had taken place, - pleaded guilty to the indictments. They pleaded guilty, even by - the advice of O'Connell himself, their great leader in politics - and law, under whose immediate patronage the holding of these - meetings, and the denunciations which they thundered forth, had - been conducted. Two of his most noisy retainers, the president - and vice-president of the Trades' Political Union, were convicted - at Dublin, and sentenced to six months' imprisonment. Their - defence was that, in the course they had taken regarding tithes, - they were only following the example of ministers and of the - people of England, in regard to rotten boroughs, and they thought - they had been aiding the Ministry in their efforts to abolish - tithes. A number of similar convictions took place in the - counties of Cork and Tipperary. The punishments inflicted were - fines and imprisonment. The criminals were looked upon as - martyrs, and the penalties which they were suffering were set - down as another unpardonable injury committed against Ireland, by - the English Government and Protestant Church."</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img130.jpg" width="350" height="467" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>Crime, however, continued unchecked. The clergyman of Borrisokane, in -the county of Tipperary, having found it necessary to seize and sell -some cattle belonging to refractory debtors, the combination prevented -an auctioneer from acting and purchasers from bidding. The cattle were -offered back to the owners at the low price bid for them, but this was -scornfully refused. They must have blood, the more especially as the -attendance of the military at the sale had prevented violence there. A -driver, accompanied by a son of the clergyman, conducted the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page130" name="page130"></a>(p. 130)</span> -cattle to a neighbouring fair. On the public road, and in the broad -daylight, the non-payers of tithes murdered the driver; and, although -his companion <span class="pagenum"><a id="page131" name="page131"></a>(p. 131)</span> did survive, it was only by mistake—they left -him for dead upon the highway. Another clergyman was shot dead on his -own lawn, while overlooking the labours of his servants.</p> - -<p>But, occasionally, these gentlemen got the worst. To secure the -tithes, certain proceedings were necessary in surveying and valuing. -The persons engaged in performing these duties everywhere required the -protection of the military. In the beginning of September, proceedings -of this kind were to be adopted in the parish of Wallstown, county -Cork; the peasantry assembled to resist; they attacked the military; -the latter had to fire in self-defence, and four of the peasantry were -killed, and several others wounded.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img131.jpg" width="500" height="210" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>Again, a party of armed police being engaged in this duty, in a parish -in Kilkenny, in the beginning of October, the police were compelled to -fire, and two persons were killed. But these are enough horrors for -one year.</p> - -<p>The accompanying illustrations give a dinner, two ball, and a walking -dress; also some modes of hair dressing which were in vogue in this -year.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page132" name="page132"></a>(p. 132)</span> CHAPTER XIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1833.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Employment of children in factories — Evidence — Passing of Factory - Act — Gambling — Crockford's club — Gambling "hells" — Police case.</p> - -<p>At the opening of this year, perhaps, the principal topic of -conversation was about the treatment of children in factories, and -general commiseration was felt for their unhappy condition. This was -principally owing to the publication of the evidence taken before the -Committee on the "Factories Bill," two or three extracts from which I -give, taken haphazard, and not picked out as being the worst—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Samuel Downe</span> called in and examined.</p> - - <p>Where do you live?—At Hunslet Carr, near Leeds.</p> - - <p>What age are you?—Twenty-nine.</p> - - <p>Have you been long acquainted with factories?—From my youth.</p> - - <p>At what time did you begin to work at one?—At about ten years of - age.</p> - - <p>In whose mill did you work?—In Mr. Martin's, at Shrewsbury.</p> - - <p>What were the customary hours of labour in the mill: state, - first, what were the hours when they were brisk?—When they were - brisk we used generally to begin at five o'clock in the morning, - and they ran on till eight at night; sometimes half-past five to - eight, and sometimes nine.</p> - - <p>What time had you allowed for meals and refreshment?—The engine - never stopped, except forty minutes at dinner time.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page133" name="page133"></a>(p. 133)</span> Were these long hours found to be very fatiguing?—Yes.</p> - - <p>What means were taken to keep the children awake and vigilant, - especially at the termination of such a day's labour as you have - described?—There was generally a blow, or a box, or a tap with a - strap, or sometimes with a hand.</p> - - <p>Was very considerable severity used in that mill when you were - there?—Yes.</p> - - <p>Have you yourself been subjected to it?—Yes.</p> - - <p>Strapped?—Yes, I was strapped most severely, till I could not - bear to sit down on a chair without pillows, and I was forced to - lie upon my face in the night-time, at one time; and through that - I left. I was strapped both on my own legs, and then I was put on - a man's back, and then strapped, and buckled with two straps to - an iron pillar, and flogged, and all by one overlooker; after - that, he took a piece of tow, and twisted it in the shape of a - cord, put it in my mouth, and tied it behind my head.</p> - - <p>He gagged you?—Yes; and then he ordered me to run round a part - of the machinery where he was overlooker, and he stood at one - end, and every time I came there, he struck me with a stick, - which I believe was an ash plant, and which he generally carried - in his hand; and sometimes he hit me, and sometimes he did not; - and one of the men in the room came and begged me off, and that - he would let me go, and not beat me any more; and, consequently, - he did.</p> - - <p>You have been beaten with extraordinary severity?—Yes; I was so - beaten that I had not power to cry at all, or hardly to speak, at - one time.</p> - - <p>What age were you at that time?—Between ten and eleven.</p> - - <p>What had you done?—I believe that in the machinery I did not - like the part he put me to, because I had never been in a mill - where there was any machinery before in my life, and it was - winter time, and we worked by gas-light, and I could not catch - the revolutions of the machinery to take the tow out of the - hackles. I desired him to remove me to another part, which he did - for some part of the day, and then sent me back to that which we - call doffing the hackles.</p> - - <p>You say that you were so beat that you could not even cry?—I - cannot assign any other reason for it; it was not because I had - not sufficient punishment: I did my endeavours. When he had - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page134" name="page134"></a>(p. 134)</span> used some mode of language which gave me to understand - that he wanted me to cry when he had flogged me on the man's - back, I remember he repeated a verse about devils trembling, and - said, 'But this hardened wretch will not shed a tear.' He was a - member of a religious society, and I suppose that was the reason - that made him use those words.</p> - - <p>Was he discharged from that society?—Yes, I believe he was; my - grandmother went to the class, it was held in the chapel, and he - was discharged from it.</p> - - <p>Were young women as well as young men beaten?—Yes, I never saw - any distinction between boys and girls."</p> - -<p class="p2 center">"<span class="smcap">Eliza Marshall</span> called in and examined.</p> - - <p>Where did you get work first?—At Mr. Marshall's in Water Lane.</p> - - <p>Was that a flax mill?—Yes.</p> - - <p>How happened you to leave that mill?—It was so dusty: it stuffed - me so much that I could scarcely speak.</p> - - <p>Did it affect your health?—Yes, I should not have lived long if - I had not left.</p> - - <p>Where did you next go to?—To Mr. Warburton's in Meadow Lane.</p> - - <p>What business is Mr. Warburton?—A worsted spinner.</p> - - <p>What were your hours of work?—When first I went to the mill we - worked from six in the morning till seven in the evening.</p> - - <p>What time had you allowed for dinner?—When first I went we had - an hour, but we did not keep that long; we removed to Lady Lane, - and then we had but half an hour.</p> - - <p>What time had you for breakfast and drinking at Mr. - Marshall's?—A quarter of an hour for breakfast, I believe, and a - quarter of an hour at tea, I think; but it is so long since that - I cannot recollect particularly.</p> - - <p>When you removed to Lady Lane, how long were you required to - work?—After a little time, in Lady Lane, we began at five in the - morning, and worked till nine at night.</p> - - <p>Did they allow you more time for dinner there?—No; we had half - an hour for dinner then, and none for breakfast or tea.</p> - - <p>How did you get your breakfast and drinking?—We got some little - of it, and then went on with our work.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page135" name="page135"></a>(p. 135)</span> How old were you when you went to Mr. Warburton's—Nine - years old.</p> - - <p>Do you think you were always allowed your whole time at - dinner?—No; sometimes it was twenty minutes only; and sometimes - the engine went on before we could even get our dinner.</p> - - <p>Were they punctual in allowing you to leave at night, or did they - get any time out of you then?—They used to get many a half hour - out of us at night.</p> - - <p>Are you sure of that?—I am sure of it.</p> - - <p>Were you not very much fatigued with that length of labour?—Yes.</p> - - <p>Did they beat you?—When I was less, they used to do it often.</p> - - <p>Did you not think that treatment very cruel?—I have cried many - an hour in the factory.</p> - - <p>You were exceedingly fatigued at night, were you not?—Yes; I - could scarcely get home.</p> - - <p>Had you to be carried home?—Yes, to be trailed home.</p> - - <p>How were you waked in the morning?—The bell in Mill Street rang - at half-past five, and we got up by that.</p> - - <p>That was not a pleasant sound to you?—No, it was not.</p> - - <p>Was the fatigue gone off in the morning?—No, I was worse in the - morning.</p> - - <p>Did this begin to affect your limbs?—Yes; when we worked over - hours, I was worse by a great deal. I had stuff to rub my knees, - and I used to rub my joints a quarter of an hour, and sometimes - an hour or two.</p> - - <p>Were you straight before that?—Yes, I was straight before that; - my master knows that well enough; and when I have asked for my - wages he said I could not run about as I had been used to do.</p> - - <p>Did he drop your wages in consequence?—No; but he would not - raise my wages, as I hoped he would. I asked, 'Could I not mind - my work?' and he said, 'Yes, but not so quick.'</p> - - <p>Are you crooked now?—Yes, I have an iron on my right leg; my - knee is contracted.</p> - - <p>Was it not great misery for you to do your work?—Yes, it was.</p> - - <p>You could hardly get up to your bed of a-night, sometimes, - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page136" name="page136"></a>(p. 136)</span> could you?—To speak the truth, my sister has carried me - up many a time; she is bigger than I am. I have gone on my hands - and knees many a time.</p> - - <p>Have you been to the Leeds infirmary, to have, if possible, your - limbs restored?—Yes; I was nearly twelve months an outpatient, - and I rubbed my joints, but it did no good; and, last summer, I - went to the Relief, and that did me no good, and I was obliged to - have a machine; and this last winter, I have been in the - infirmary six weeks.</p> - - <p>They have put irons on your legs?—Yes; they cost £3.</p> - - <p>Have any of the surgeons at the infirmary told you by what your - deformity was occasioned?—Yes, one of them said it was by - standing. The marrow is dried out of the bone, so that there is - no natural strength in it.</p> - - <p>You were quite straight till you had to labour so long at those - mills?—Yes; I was as straight as any one.</p> - - <p>You kept at your work as long as you possibly could, with a wish - to assist in keeping your parent?—Yes; I had a step-father, and - he was not willing to keep me, and I went as long as I could; at - last I cried and used to fall back in bed when they called me, so - that they could not find it in their hearts to send me.</p> - - <p>State whether, when your mill has been shown, and when people - have come to look at it, there has not been a great deal of - preparation before it has been seen by a stranger?—Yes, there - has.</p> - - <p>Has there been a great deal done to make it appear clean and - nice, and the children tidy?—Yes, a great deal.</p> - - <p>Have any other mills been prepared for people coming to them, to - your knowledge?—We live in Leeds, at the Bank, nearly opposite - Holforth's silk mill; there was a Parliament gentleman going - there on the Saturday, and the children kept on till 12 o'clock - on the Friday night, and then they had an hour given them on the - morning of Saturday to go and dress themselves.</p> - - <p>When was this?—I can't tell rightly; two or three weeks since, - as nearly as I can recollect.</p> - - <p>Did the children come in their Sunday clothes then?—Yes.</p> - - <p>Were all the children there?—Yes, for anything I know.</p> - - <p>Were any of those who were ill-looking or unwell kept - away?—There were some of them sent home.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page137" name="page137"></a>(p. 137)</span> That were not to return?—Yes.</p> - - <p>What were they sent home for?—I do not know; but there was a - gentleman going there.</p> - - <p>Were they sent home because they did not appear to be in good - health?—Yes, that was the purpose, I believe.</p> - - <p>You saw those persons, did you?—Yes.</p> - - <p>Did you not think it very wrong for people, who wish to show the - condition in which children are to make those sort of - preparations previously?—Yes; it was to deceive the gentleman."</p> -</div> - -<p>I could give numerous cases similar to the above, did space permit, -but this committee did good work, and the fruit of its labours may be -found in 3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 103, "An Act to Regulate the Labour of -Children and Young Persons in the Mills and Factories of the United -Kingdom," which received the Royal Assent on August 29, 1833. -Subsequent legislation has vastly improved upon this Act, and the -little workers are now so protected as to make it difficult to add -anything for their benefit.</p> - -<p>One of the great vices of the age was gambling. Not so much on the -turf, as at present, nor had gambling in stocks become a science, as -now; but dice and cards were rampant, and might be indulged in, from -the lordly club to the silver hell. They were as difficult to get at -as similar institutions are in the present day, when they are cropping -up again as badly as ever.</p> - -<p>The most aristocratic of these "hells" was "Crockford's" or, -familiarly, "Crockey's," in St. James's Street. It was so called from -its proprietor William Crockford, who formerly kept a small <span class="pagenum"><a id="page138" name="page138"></a>(p. 138)</span> -fishmonger's shop adjoining Temple Bar. In some manner he made some -money, either on the turf or by gambling at cards; he set up a gaming -house on a most extensive scale, on the site now occupied by the -Devonshire Club, No. 50, St. James's Street. Gronow, "Celebrities of -London and Paris," 1865, p. 103, gives as good an account of this -famous club as any one. He says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"In the reign of George IV. a new star rose upon the horizon, in - the person of Mr. William Crockford; and the old-fashioned games - of macao and lansquenet gave place to the all-devouring thirst - for the game of hazard. Crockey, when still a young man, had - relinquished the peaceful trade of a fishmonger for a share in a - "hell," where with his partner Gye he managed to win, after a - sitting of twenty-four hours, the enormous sum of £100,000 from - Lords Thanet and Granville, Mr. Ball Hughes, and two other - gentlemen whose names I do not remember. With this capital, added - to his former gains, he built the well-known palace in St. - James's Street, where a club was established and play organized - on a scale of magnificence and liberality hitherto unknown in - Europe.</p> - - <p>"One may safely say, without exaggeration, that Crockford won the - whole of the ready money of the then existing generation. As is - often the case at Lord's Cricket Ground, the great match of the - gentlemen of England against the professional players was won by - the latter. It was a very hollow thing; and, in a few years, - £1,200,000 were swept away by the fortunate fishmonger. He did - not, however, die worth more than a sixth part of this vast - sum;<a id="footnotetag12" name="footnotetag12"></a><a href="#footnote12" title="Go to footnote 12"><span class="smaller">[12]</span></a> the difference being swallowed up in various unlucky - speculations.</p> - - <p>"No one can describe the splendour and excitement of the early - days of Crockey. A supper of the most exquisite kind, prepared by - the famous Ude, and accompanied by the best wines in the world, - together with every luxury of the season, was furnished <span class="pagenum"><a id="page139" name="page139"></a>(p. 139)</span> - gratis. The members of the club included all the celebrities of - England, from the Duke of Wellington to the youngest Ensign of - the Guards; and, at the gay and festive board, which was - constantly replenished from midnight to early dawn, the most - brilliant sallies of wit, the most agreeable conversation, the - most interesting anecdotes, interspersed with grave political - discussions and acute logical reasoning on every conceivable - subject, proceeded from the soldiers, scholars, statesmen, poets, - and men of pleasure, who, when 'the House was up,' and balls and - parties at an end, delighted to finish their evening with a - little supper and a good deal of hazard at old Crockey's. The - tone of the club was excellent. A most gentlemanly feeling - prevailed, and none of the rudeness, familiarity, and - ill-breeding, which disgrace some of the minor clubs of the - present day, would have been tolerated for a moment.</p> - - <p>"The great foreign diplomatists, Prince Talleyrand, Count Pozzo - di Borgo, General Alava, the Duke Palmella, Prince Esterhazy, the - French, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese, and Austrian ambassadors, - and all persons of distinction and eminence who arrived in - England, belonged to Crockford's as a matter of course; but many - rued the day when they became members of that fascinating but - dangerous coterie. The great Duke himself, rather a friend of the - dandies, did not disdain to appear now and then at this charming - club; whilst the late Lord Raglan, Lord Anglesey, Sir Hussey - Vivian, and many more of our Peninsula and Waterloo heroes were - constant visitors. The two great novelists of the day, who have - since become great statesmen, D'Israeli and Bulwer Lytton, - displayed at that brilliant supper table, the one his sable, the - other his auburn curls; there, Horace Twiss made proof of an - appetite, and Edward Montague of a thirst, which astonished all - beholders; whilst the bitter jests of Sir Joseph Copley, Colonel - Armstrong, and John Wilson Croker, and the brilliant wit of - Alvanley, were the delight of all present, and their <i lang="fr">bons mots</i> - were, the next day, retailed all over England.</p> - - <p>"In the play room might be heard the clear, ringing voice of that - agreeable reprobate, Tom Duncombe, as he cheerfully called, - "Seven," and the powerful hand of the vigorous Sefton, in - throwing for a ten. There might be noted the scientific dribbling - of a four by "King" Allen, the tremendous backing of nines and - fives by Ball Hughes and Auriol, the enormous stakes played for - by <span class="pagenum"><a id="page140" name="page140"></a>(p. 140)</span> Lords Lichfield and Chesterfield, George Payne, Sir - St. Vincent Cotton, D'Orsay and George Anson, and, above all, the - gentlemanly bearing and unmoved demeanour, under losses or gains, - of all the men of that generation.</p> - - <p>"The old fishmonger himself, seated snug and sly at his desk in - the corner of the room, watchful as the dragon that guarded the - golden apples of the Hesperides, would only give credit to sure - and approved signatures. Who that ever entered that dangerous - little room can ever forget the large green table, with the - croupiers, Page, Parking, and Bacon, with their suave manners, - sleek appearance, stiff white neck cloths, and the almost - miraculous quickness and dexterity with which they swept away the - money of the unfortunate punters when the fatal cry of, 'Deuce - ace,' 'Aces,' or 'Sixes out,' was heard in answer to the caster's - bold cry of 'Seven,' or 'Nine,' or 'Five's the main.'</p> - - <p>"<i lang="la">O noctes cænæque deum!</i> But the brightest medal has its - reverse, and after all the cost and gaiety and excitement of the - night, how disagreeable the waking up, and how very unpleasant - the sight of the little card, with its numerous figures marked - down on the debtor side in the fine bold hand of Mr. Page. Alas, - poor Crockey's! shorn of its former glory, has become a sort of - refuge for the destitute, a cheap dining-house.<a id="footnotetag13" name="footnotetag13"></a><a href="#footnote13" title="Go to footnote 13"><span class="smaller">[13]</span></a> How are the - mighty fallen! Irish buckeens, spring captains, 'welchers' from - Newmarket, and suspicious looking foreigners, may be seen - swaggering after dinner through the marble halls and up that - gorgeous staircase, where once the chivalry of England loved to - congregate; and those who remember Crockford's in all its glory - cast as they pass a look of unavailing regret at its dingy walls, - with many a sigh to the memory of the pleasant days they passed - there, and the gay companions and noble gentlemen who have long - since gone to their last home."</p> -</div> - -<p>For a good account of Crockford's career, I may refer my readers to -<cite>Bentley's Magazine</cite>, vol. xvii., pp. 142-155, 251-264.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page141" name="page141"></a>(p. 141)</span> But to show how prevalent was gaming at this time, I give the -following paragraph in the <cite>Times</cite>, January 24th, copied from an -evening paper:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The Hells in the Quadrant.</span></p> - - <p>"Those seats of vice (the gaming-houses) which, for some time - past, have existed in the Quadrant, appear to be done up, as, - since Saturday, not one of them has been opened. Since the five - persons have been apprehended, the visitors have been extremely - scarce; nor was their confidence restored, even by the - proprietors' having the chain up at the street door, coupled with - a fellow's being employed at each of the hells to patrol before - the different establishments, for the purpose of giving the - requisite information as to who sought admission into those dens - of destruction. Although a very active search has been made for - the purpose of ascertaining what has become of Daly, the clerk of - the Athenæum Club-house, who left that establishment on the 8th - instant, no trace had been found of him—one of the many - lamentable instances of loss of character and ruin which overtake - those who suffer themselves to be lured into those houses. Daly, - who enjoyed the confidence of the whole of the members, was - suddenly missed on the above day. On looking over his papers, a - diary was found, from which it appeared that he had lost large - sums of money at No. 60, and as it has since been ascertained he - was there on the previous day, it is supposed that he lost 24 £5 - notes at play which belonged to his employers. Upon this - discovery being made, some gentlemen of the Athenæum waited on - the parish officers, to ascertain whether they could put a stop - to the gaming-houses. It was, however, found that it could not be - done, unless some person would come forward and identify those at - play; a relation of Daly accordingly went to the house, and - supplied the necessary proof. It was at this establishment, a few - months since, the foreigners who had been fleeced made an attempt - to rob the bank; and, shortly after that, placards were posted on - the walls in the neighbourhood of the Quadrant, cautioning - persons from going into any of the hells, as drugged wine was - invariably given to those who were going to play."</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page142" name="page142"></a>(p. 142)</span> In these cases, nowadays, our magistrates look upon a raid -upon a gaming-house as a very trivial affair, inflicting only mild -fines upon the offenders. They might peruse, with advantage, the -practice of their predecessors. Take a case at the Westminster -Sessions, on May 9th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Three prisoners, out of six, answered to the indictment of - keeping and maintaining a common gaming-house, and pleaded - guilty. The prosecuting counsel, Mr. Clarkson, said that the - house in question was situate No. 54, Regent's Circus, six doors - from the house which was lately prosecuted. He should have been - able to prove that on February the 7th, 9th, 12th, and 14th last, - the games of <i lang="fr">rouge et noir</i> and <i lang="fr">roulette</i> were played for sums - varying from one sovereign to one shilling. He should have also - proved that on some one or on all those occasions the defendants - acted in the capacities of doorkeeper, banker, and waiter. He - (Mr. Clarkson) was informed by the officers of St. James's parish - that at the last Sessions there were twenty-seven houses of this - description situate therein, and out of that number only two had - been closed in the interval, but three new ones had been opened, - so that the number had been increased rather than otherwise.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Philips, for the defence, said that those houses had nothing - to do with the present case. He would advise the parish officers - to go to Crockford's, not far distant from the house in question, - where they would find lords and peers of the realm at play.</p> - - <p>"The bench sentenced two of the prisoners to three months, and - one to fourteen days imprisonment in the House of Correction, - whilst the bail of one who did not appear was estreated."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page143" name="page143"></a>(p. 143)</span> CHAPTER XIV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1833.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">The overland route to India — The Government and Lieutenant - Waghorn — Police magistrate and the press — Cobbett and the British - Museum — Prevalence of influenza — "National Convention" - riot — Policeman killed — The coroner and the jury — Adulteration of - tea.</p> - -<p>We saw how, in 1832, the East India Company refused to accelerate -communication with India by means of steam vessels. I have now to -record the earliest efforts of Lieutenant Waghorn, in his famed -overland route to India, which, however, did not become an -accomplished fact until October, 1845. The <cite>Times</cite>, February 6th, thus -comments on the conduct of Earl Grey's ministry in this matter—</p> - -<p class="quote">"It will hardly be credited that Mr. Waghorn, who is on the point - of leaving England, to carry personally into effect one of the - most important enterprises in which any man has ever yet - engaged—namely, the shortening by one half the time of our - communications with India—has been refused, by Sir James Graham, - a commission as Lieutenant in the Navy, a rank to which he is - fairly entitled from his period of service, and which is most - material to his success. The Board of Control, the Admiralty, - nay, the whole of the Government, profess the desire to have this - great project fully brought to bear; they admit Mr. Waghorn's - qualifications, attested by nearly the whole mercantile community - of India, for the undertaking; they are relieved, through his and - their means, of all expense or thought or trouble about the - success of it; the only thing asked is a Lieutenant's - commission, simply <span class="pagenum"><a id="page144" name="page144"></a>(p. 144)</span> because Mr. Waghorn is aware of the - far greater attention which the rank of a British officer will - procure him from the Pacha of Egypt, and would willingly, to - obtain it, relinquish the pay of that rank, and yet it is refused - by those to whom his labours, if successful, must prove of - incalculable benefit!"</p> - -<p>Another little instance of prejudice, which broader thinking has -rendered impossible, nowadays, is given in the <cite>Times</cite>, March 21st—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Marylebone Office.</span></p> - - <p>"Yesterday morning, just as the business had commenced, a case of - trivial importance was called on, when at the moment the writer - came into the Justice Room, and was approaching the desk usually - appropriated for reporters, which had been previously occupied by - two policemen, who, knowing the arduous duties which those - connected with the press had to perform, immediately gave way, - when the following colloquy ensued—</p> - - <p>"Mr. Rawlinson (to the policeman): Why do you give way to that - man—you have a better right to be here than he has? Then, - extending his voice, he said to the reporter, I wish you would - not come here so often, sir.</p> - - <p>"Reporter: 'I believe, sir, that police offices are, or at least - ought to be, open to the public; and, as I am employed by the - <cite>Times</cite> newspaper to report the proceedings at this office, I - humbly submit that I have as much right to stand here for the - information of the public in general as any policeman who may be - a witness in the case before you.'</p> - - <p>"Mr. Rawlinson: The office is too full of reporters; I beg, sir, - that you will give way to the witness.</p> - - <p>"Reporter: Most certainly, sir; but, with all due deference, I - beg to submit that in a public office reporters are entitled to - admission.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Rawlinson (angrily): Perhaps I may let you know to the - contrary.</p> - - <p>"Here the conversation dropped."</p> -</div> - -<p>Yet one more case of ignorance and prejudice—which <span class="pagenum"><a id="page145" name="page145"></a>(p. 145)</span> occurred -in the House of Commons, on March 25th, when the report of the -Committee of Supply was brought up. On the question that the House do -agree with the Committee in the resolution that a sum not exceeding -£16,884 be granted to his Majesty for the expenses of the -establishment of the British Museum—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Mr. Cobbett rose to object to the resolution. He saw no reason - why the sum of £16,000 should be paid out of the general taxes of - the country for the sake of supporting the British Museum. In - former times, when Mr. Bankes superintended the expenditure of - the British Museum, the grant to it did not exceed £10,000. Then - he thought the grant unjust, and now he could not imagine why, in - the present distressed condition of the country, it should be - raised to £16,000: for when was the British Museum of the - slightest use to the country at large? Last year there was £1000 - paid for a collection of insects; what use could that collection - be of to the weavers of Lancashire, or to the farmers and - tradesmen of distant parts of the country? The plain fact was - that the British Museum was of no use at all! It was a place to - which curious persons went to entertain themselves, by gratifying - their curiosity, and in which the rich were accustomed to lounge - away their time at the expense of their poorer countrymen. For - his own part, he did not know where the British Museum was (much - laughter), and was not acquainted with its contents. He thought - that this sum of £16,000, granted by the Committee, was just - £16,000 thrown away for the gratification of a set of loungers, - who had first taken care to get enough out of the taxes to enable - them to lounge away the rest of their lives in complete idleness. - He also objected to this grant because there was £10,000 of it, - and more, paid away in salaries, and to whom? If a list of the - parties to whom those salaries were paid were laid upon the table - of the House—and he would undertake to say that it should - shortly be laid there—it would be found that they were paid away - to the aristocracy and their dependents. He would move for a - list of those who received them." (Several voices: <span class="pagenum"><a id="page146" name="page146"></a>(p. 146)</span> "The - list is published already.") "Who, he should like to know, were - the maids who swept out the rooms of the British Museum? - Doubtless they were the daughters of the head officers of the - establishment. He would say that a more scandalous job than this - grant never disgraced this Government, and that was saying a - great deal. (Laughter.) He should conclude by moving that this - report be recommitted."</p> - -<p>Of course no one was on his side, and the grant was passed.</p> - -<p>From April to July this year influenza was very prevalent, sparing -neither rank, age, nor sex. It was not a new disease, for it was known -in 1580, when it preceded the plague; in 1658, it was followed by a -fatal epidemic fever; in 1743 by the plague; in 1762 by violent -dysentery; in 1813, by ophthalmia and dysentery, and in 1831 by the -cholera. The <cite>Medical Gazette</cite>, of May 5th, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"As to the rest, so far as regards the metropolis, the influenza - has been plague enough, without looking for another. It has been - a hundred-fold more prevalent than cholera was, and we are - inclined to believe has proved fatal, within the last fortnight, - to a greater number of persons than that disease carried off in - London within an equal period. Certainly this holds good with - respect to the upper and middle classes of society, among whom a - large number of aged persons have fallen victims to it. The - increased mortality of the metropolis during the present - epidemic, is strikingly exemplified by the weekly account of - burials. That ending April 16th exhibits an increase over the - preceding of 266; that ending April 23rd, another increase upon - the above of 209; that of May 1st, a further increase of 165; - making the entire increase in the number of funerals last week - equal to 640; and this, too, within the limits of the Bills of - Mortality. The epidemic is now, however, rapidly on the decline, - though a considerable number of relapses have occurred, and many - continue to linger under its effects."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page147" name="page147"></a>(p. 147)</span> It spread both to Ireland and Scotland, but ceased about -July.</p> - -<p>On April 30th, an attempt to repeal the House and Window Tax was made, -but was not successful. The window tax was especially obnoxious, as it -led to keeping out light and fresh air from rooms that sadly needed -both, and it lingered on until July 24, 1851, when it was repealed by -Act 14 & 15 Vict. c. 36, and a duty upon inhabited houses was levied -in its place.</p> - -<p>In this reign there could scarcely be political agitation without -violence, and we find on May 13th, there was even murder committed. -The following account is taken from the <cite>Annual Register</cite>, as being -more condensed than the newspaper reports:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Political Meeting and Murder.</span></p> - - <p>"For some days placards had been posted up, addressed to the - members of the political unions, calling a public meeting, to be - held in Calthorpe Street, Coldbath Fields, preparatory to forming - a National Convention. A proclamation had been issued from the - Home Office, prohibiting the meeting as being illegal. It was - held, nevertheless, on the 13th. The hour appointed for the - meeting was two o'clock, but the populace had been assembling for - three hours previously. Shortly after twelve o'clock strong - detachments of the metropolitan police marched into the - neighbourhood, and took up their quarters in the riding school of - the London Volunteers, and the several livery stables in the - vicinity. Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne, the two Commissioners, had - previously arrived, and were accommodated at a house in the - neighbourhood, attended by two clerks. A magistrate of Hatton - Garden office was stationed in the House of Correction, as were - also other magistrates, and a strong body of the police force. - Two officers of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards were on the - spot, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page148" name="page148"></a>(p. 148)</span> in plain clothes, keeping up a constant - communication with their regiment, a detachment of which was - under arms, and ready at a moment's notice.</p> - - <p>"Matters remained in this state till near two o'clock, by which - time the number of people had greatly increased, and there were - between three thousand and four thousand present. During this - time the committee, consisting of six individuals, were holding - their council at the Union public-house, Bagnigge Wells, and some - discussion arose between them, as to which of them should ascend - the hustings first. A young man named James Lee undertook to open - the proceedings by proposing a person to fill the chair. Shortly - before three o'clock a caravan, which had been engaged for the - purpose, took its station. Lee jumped into it, followed by a - person named Mee, and several others. Lee waved his hat several - times, which was answered by the shouts of the assembly. The - owner of the van, however, did not like the appearance of things, - and instantly drove off, the committee jumping out of the - caravan. Lee was then carried on the shoulders of some of the - mob, to the railings, and proposed that Mr. Mee should take the - chair, which, being seconded, Mr. Mee stood up and addressed the - meeting, calling upon those present to beware of those hirelings - of the Government who were paid to induce them to commit a breach - of the peace. The Union, who had been anxiously expected all the - morning, at this moment made their appearance, and the - acclamations of the populace were deafening. The Union consisted - of about a hundred and fifty persons, and the banners carried - were, 'Liberty or death,' with a skull and cross-bones on a black - ground, with a red border; 'Holy Alliance of the Working - Classes;' 'Equal Rights and Equal Justice;' a Tricoloured flag; - the republican flag of America; and a pole with the cap of - Liberty.</p> - - <p>"They had scarcely got upon the ground, before a detachment of - the A division (supported by some other divisions) marched into - Calthorpe Street with the greatest order and precision. Their - promptitude and formidable appearance seemed to make a momentary - impression on the mob, but a person, pointing to the banner of - 'Liberty or death,' shouted, 'Men, be firm!' This was sufficient - to rouse their feelings; they called out, 'Down with them; - Liberty or death!' and appeared determined to resist to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page149" name="page149"></a>(p. 149)</span> - the utmost. 'Go on, go on!' resounded from all sides to the - speaker.</p> - - <p>"The division of police had halted in the middle of the street, - and received renewed orders to act calmly and with forbearance. - They then walked forward, with their staves in their hands, - clearing their way through the observers who had been attracted - to the spot, and pressed forward directly to the man who still - continued to address the mob. The police were instantly attacked - by the mob. The conflict was but of a minute's duration, and the - sound of the blows, and the shrieks of the women who had obtruded - themselves into danger were loud. When a clearance was effected, - at least twenty men were prostrate on the ground, with blood - streaming from their heads. Sergeant Harrison, of the D division, - was the first who seized a banner, but received a violent blow on - the arm. Robert Cully, C 95, and his brother, made up to another, - when Cully received a wound in the abdomen from a stilletto, and - instantly expired. Sergeant Brooks was also wounded, besides - several others who received blows. The people rallied in the open - space by the prison, and made a vigorous attack on the police, - which was instantly and effectually repelled, though not till - they had attempted to rescue the banner of 'Liberty or death.' - The police were therefore formed into lines, extending across the - different streets, for a quarter of a mile round the place, and - every party of three or four persons was instantly ordered to - 'Move on.' In Gray's Inn Lane, on the N division clearing the - place, one man took a stone to fling at the policeman who was - ordering him off, but his arm was arrested by another policeman. - A united shout of 'Stone the —— ——!' arose, and there was an - immediate rush of the populace into the middle of the road, where - there were fresh laid granite stones; but a movement of the whole - division, and the capture of the ringleaders, arrested the - further progress of the mob. By four o'clock, everything was - tranquil, and a number of prisoners had been arrested.</p> - - <p>"An inquest was held on the body of Cully, the policeman who had - been stabbed. From the state of political feeling, the jury - seemed determined to justify murder on the ground that the - meeting was legal, or, if illegal, had not been legally - dispersed. The inquest was continued for several days, and - finally the jury, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page150" name="page150"></a>(p. 150)</span> after retiring for nearly three hours, - returned the following verdict: 'We find a verdict of - <em>justifiable homicide</em> on these grounds: That no Riot Act was - read, nor any proclamation advising the people to disperse; that - the Government did not take the proper precautions to prevent the - meeting from assembling; and that the conduct of the police was - ferocious, brutal, and unprovoked by the people; and we moreover - express our anxious hope that the Government will, in future, - take better precautions to prevent the occurrence of such - disgraceful transactions in this metropolis.'</p> - - <p>"Coroner: Your verdict only traduces the police and the - Government. You are not borne out by the evidence in justifying - the murder of this man. Were the people innocent who used the - murderous weapons, stilettos, bludgeons, and lances, such as you - have seen?</p> - - <p>"Foreman: We state in our verdict on what grounds we justify the - homicide. We do not traduce the police, nor the Government. We - trust that our verdict will prevent the negligence and misconduct - that has caused the arms and heads of his Majesty's peaceable - subjects to be broken.</p> - - <p>"Coroner: Do you call them peaceable subjects?</p> - - <p>"Foreman: It has been proved that they are peaceable. We will say - no more, sir; record our verdict or dismiss us. We have told you, - sir, we will not alter a letter. In regard to our oath, and our - duty to our God, our country, and our King, we can give no other - verdict.</p> - - <p>"After a consultation of some length, the coroner directed the - verdict, as originally put in, to be entered on the record. The - depositions, inquisition, and record were then completed and - signed.</p> - - <p>"The coroner said, 'Gentlemen, I consider your verdict - disgraceful to you; but I thank you for your great attention to - the case.'</p> - - <p>"The foreman, bowing, said, 'We thank you, sir.'</p> - - <p>"Hereupon, a number of persons in the room, which was crowded to - excess, exclaimed, 'Bravo, jurors; you have done your duty nobly, - the country is indebted to you;' which was followed by vociferous - cheering in the room, re-echoed with prodigious vehemence by the - crowd outside. As the jury withdrew, numbers <span class="pagenum"><a id="page151" name="page151"></a>(p. 151)</span> of persons - pressed forward and shook each of them eagerly by the hand. In - the streets, as they passed, they were cheered by name, while the - police were hooted.</p> - - <p>"On May 29th, the Solicitor-General moved the Court of King's - Bench for a writ of <i lang="la">Certiorari</i> to remove the inquisition into - that court, for the purpose of having the verdict quashed. The - verdict, he said, was bad in point of law. The conclusion at - which the jury had arrived was not only unwarranted by the facts - given in evidence, but directly contrary to those facts."</p> -</div> - -<p>The verdict was quashed, and a man named George Nursey was charged -with the policeman's murder, but the prosecution failed in getting a -conviction.</p> - -<p>Here is a somewhat curious police report treating of an extinct -industry. Indeed, I doubt whether it would have obtained in 1833, had -not tea been so dear. <cite>Times</cite>, May 14th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Union Hall.</span></p> - - <p>"Yesterday, in the course of examination of two boys, who were - brought from Camberwell, before Mr. Chambers, for gambling on - Sunday, some disclosures of importance respecting the extent to - which the suspected adulteration of tea is carried on in this - metropolis were made.</p> - - <p>"In the possession of one of the juvenile defendants a policeman - found two shillings upon taking him into custody, and when the - boy was asked by the magistrate where he got that money, he - immediately replied, 'Not by gambling, your Worship, but by - picking tea leaves.'</p> - - <p>"Mr. Chambers (smiling): The tea plant does not happen to grow in - this country, my lad; therefore you are adding a falsehood to the - offence for which you were brought here, and that offence is - always sure to lead to crimes of more magnitude.</p> - - <p>"The defendant still persisted in the truth of his assertion, - relative to the picking of tea leaves; and when asked to explain - the manner in which he did it, he replied, 'Why, your Worship, - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page152" name="page152"></a>(p. 152)</span> I am employed by a cowkeeper at Camberwell, who sends me - into the fields to gather sloe leaves and black and white thorn - leaves, and he pays me so much a pound for all I picks. I works - hard, and sometimes earns a good bit of money at the job.'</p> - - <p>"Mr. Chambers inquired what the cowkeeper wanted with sloe and - black and white thorn leaves; it could not be for the use of his - cows.</p> - - <p>"Inspector Walters, of the P division, stated that he should be - enabled to throw some light upon the subject of what the boy - termed 'picking tea leaves.' The inspector then said that for the - last month a number of poor persons, of both sexes, were observed - in the fields adjacent to Camberwell, picking leaves out of the - hedges. To such an extent, in fact, had this picking system - lately been carried, in and about that neighbourhood, that many - of the hedgerows were completely divested of their foliage. He - had questioned some of the people as to the purposes for which - the leaves were intended, and he had the same reply from all, - namely, that they were employed by a cowkeeper, who gave them a - penny a pound for sloe and black thorn leaves, and half that sum - for white thorn leaves. One man told him that he picked between - 50 and 60 lbs. a day, and always had a sure market for selling - them to the cowkeeper. On a recent occasion a gentleman resident - in Camberwell complained that the hedge surrounding one of his - fields had been entirely stripped of its leaves, but he objected - to give any person into custody for the damage committed on his - property, but warned them not to be seen there again. The - inspector added that the circumstance had created some surprise - at Camberwell, and he had instituted an inquiry into the matter, - in the course of which he ascertained that the statement made to - him by the persons found picking the leaves was perfectly correct - as to the party whom they supplied. The next step was to discover - how the cowkeeper disposed of the leaves, and this was - accomplished by placing persons to watch his premises, when it - was found that they underwent no process while in his possession, - but were sent in bags to extensive tea dealers in the city, to - whose warehouses they were traced from the cowkeeper's yard in - Camberwell.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Chambers inquired what steps had been taken after tracing - leaves of that description to the house of a tea dealer. It - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page153" name="page153"></a>(p. 153)</span> looked, certainly, very suspicious, for he heard reports - of tea being adulterated with sloe leaves.</p> - - <p>"The inspector said that information of the fact of such leaves - as those he had described having been received at a tea warehouse - was given to the Excise, and he had no doubt but they intended to - act forthwith upon it."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page154" name="page154"></a>(p. 154)</span> CHAPTER XV.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1833.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">The Queen's visit to the City — Her unpopularity — King's dislike - of the Duchess of Kent — Hungerford Market opened — Death and - funeral of Wilberforce — Abolition of slavery — Synopsis of Act — A - Women's rowing match — List of periodicals and their - circulation — Return of Captain Ross — State of Ireland — Passing of - "Coercion Bill," etc.</p> - -<p>The poor Queen was still very unpopular, as we read in the <cite>Times</cite> of -June 15th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We are assured by a gentleman who followed the royal procession - on Thursday (June 13th), both in the approach to the Cathedral - and in the subsequent visit to the Mansion House, that her - Majesty's reception in the City was by no means so favourable as - was represented. In passing up Ludgate Hill the groans and hisses - of the multitude were extremely violent, so as quite to overpower - the manifestations of respect which proceeded in that place from - a very small portion of the spectators. After the termination of - the service at St. Paul's, the royal carriage was attended, - comparatively, by a very small number of the populace, and among - these a few hisses were occasionally heard, with also a few - indications of a more loyal nature; but the demeanour of a far - greater portion of the spectators was cold and indifferent. Some - hisses were heard from the populace at the time her Majesty was - ascending the steps at the Mansion House. When the <i lang="fr">cortége</i> - drove off after the visit to the Lord Mayor, it was done with so - much rapidity as to be soon out of sight, and almost elude the - observation of the populace."</p> - -<p>There was also considerable friction, in the royal <span class="pagenum"><a id="page155" name="page155"></a>(p. 155)</span> circle -itself. The King did not like the Duchess of Kent, and did not scruple -to show his dislike openly in somewhat petty ways. Hear what Greville -says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"July 4th.—At Court yesterday, and Council for a foolish - business. The King has been (not unnaturally) disgusted with the - Duchess of Kent's progress with her daughter through the kingdom, - and, amongst the rest, with her sailings at the Isle of Wight, - and the continual popping in the shape of salutes to her Royal - Highness. He did not choose that this latter practice should go - on, and he signified his pleasure to Sir James Graham and Lord - Hill, for salutes are matters of general order, both to army and - navy. They (and Lord Grey) thought it better to make no order on - the subject, and they opened a negotiation with the Duchess of - Kent, to induce her, of her own account, to waive the salutes, - and when she went to the Isle of Wight to send word that, as she - was sailing about for her amusement, she had rather they did not - salute her whenever she appeared. The negotiation failed, for the - Duchess insisted on her right to be saluted, and would not give - it up. Kemp told me he had heard that Conroy (who is a ridiculous - fellow, a compound of 'Great Hussy' and the Chamberlain of the - Princess of Navarre<a id="footnotetag14" name="footnotetag14"></a><a href="#footnote14" title="Go to footnote 14"><span class="smaller">[14]</span></a>) had said, 'that, as Her Royal Highness's - <em>confidential adviser</em>, he could not recommend her to give way on - this point.' As she declined to accede to the proposals, nothing - remained but to alter the regulations, and, accordingly, - yesterday, by an Order in Council, the King changed them, and - from this time the Royal Standard is only to be saluted when the - King or Queen is on board."</p> - -<p>Among the odds and ends of news in this year was the opening of -Hungerford Market, on July 2nd, amidst great festivity, which included -a balloon ascent, and a ball and fireworks at night. It was situated -on the site now occupied by the Charing Cross Station, and was -demolished in 1862.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page156" name="page156"></a>(p. 156)</span> On the 29th of July died William Wilberforce, the -distinguished philanthropist, memorable especially for his exertions -in the abolition of slavery. He was buried on August 4th, in -Westminster Abbey, the pall-bearers being the Lord Chancellor, the -Speaker of the House of Commons, Lord Bexley, the Marquis of -Westminster, the Right Hon. Charles Grant, Sir Robert Inglis, Mr. W. -Smith, and His Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. Among the -mourners were the peers, at the head of whom were the Dukes of Sussex -and Wellington, the Archbishop of Canterbury, and most of the bishops, -and, lastly, the members of the House of Commons.</p> - -<p>It seems hard that he was denied the pleasure of seeing that come to -pass, the forwarding of which had occupied so great a part of his -life, viz. the abolition of slavery. In 1807 the importation of slaves -into our colonies was decreed; but men's minds were exercised as to -the lawfulness of keeping slaves at all, and an Anti-Slavery Society -was established in 1823, the principal members of which were -Wilberforce, Buxton, Zachary Macaulay, Lord Suffield, and Dr. -Lushington, and in that year a movement was made in Parliament in -furtherance of this object, but for some years the cause made little -progress, until 1830, when it was again taken up. But, in 1833, the -Government took it seriously in hand, and the abolition of slavery was -carried with comparatively little opposition. True, Mr. W. E. -Gladstone, in a debate thereon, on June 3rd, defended his father as a -slave owner—he <span class="pagenum"><a id="page157" name="page157"></a>(p. 157)</span> having an estate at Demerara, called -Vreeden's Hoop—but he had a bad cause to back up, and his speech was -practically nullified by Lord Howick's reply.</p> - -<p>The opponents of the Bill talked of the helplessness of the negroes, -who had always had everything found them, and prophesied that they -would starve; indeed, an anonymous artist produced the accompanying -picture of "An Emancipated Negro," who is reduced to catching -butterflies for food.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img157.jpg" width="300" height="403" alt="" title="An Emancipated Negro." /> -</div> - -<p>The Bill passed the House of Commons on August 7th, and received the -Royal Assent on August 28th. It is 3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 73, and is -entitled "An Act <span class="pagenum"><a id="page158" name="page158"></a>(p. 158)</span> for the Abolition of Slavery throughout the -<em>British</em> Colonies; for promoting the industry of the manumitted -slaves; and for compensating the persons hitherto entitled to the -services of such slaves." It is a long Act, but the following is a -synopsis.</p> - -<p>All children under six years of age, or born after August 1st, 1834, -are declared free: all registered slaves above six years become, from -the same date, apprenticed labourers, divided into two principal -classes, <i lang="la">prædial</i>, or those engaged in agriculture, and the -<i lang="la">non-prædial</i>; the apprenticeships of the former to expire August 1, -1838; of the latter August 1, 1840. The hours of the <i lang="la">prædial</i> -apprentices not to exceed forty-five in any one week, and for which -they were to be paid either by being boarded and lodged or by -receiving a sum of money weekly. By this transition into the -apprentice state, the slave immediately entered into the chief -immunities of a free man; he could not be arbitrarily punished by his -master, and became eligible to give evidence in criminal and civil -courts, to serve on juries and in the militia. One of the chief -difficulties to settle, was in determining the compensation to the -owners of slaves for the loss of their compulsory services. A very -small party in the Commons was in favour of the immediate and entire -emancipation of the negroes, and that without any compensation -whatever; the ministers at first proposed advancing a loan of -£15,000,000 to the West India proprietors; subsequently this <em>loan</em> -was transmuted into a <em>gift</em> of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page159" name="page159"></a>(p. 159)</span> £20,000,000, by which liberal -donation, Mr. Secretary Stanley said the whole plan would ensure the -cordial co-operation of the planters and colonial legislatures. On -this basis it was settled, and an end put to a question which had -formed almost the exclusive subject of public interest and agitation -by the religious portion of the community during the last half -century.</p> - -<p>To change from grave to gay. The "New Woman" was already beginning to -assert masculine functions, though hardly in such an æsthetic manner -as to-day. In 1787 Rowlandson portrayed a cricket match played in that -year by women, at Ball's Pond, and several satirical prints -immortalize the lady cricketer; but it was reserved for the <cite>Times</cite> of -September 4, 1833, to chronicle—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">A Rowing Match among Women.</span>—The proposed wager among women came - off yesterday. It was said that the contest was for a purse of - sovereigns given by the ladies and gentlemen of Lambeth; but it - is believed the proprietor of a public-house near Lambeth Palace - was the donor. The females were the wives and daughters of - fishermen. The <i lang="fr">canaille</i> mustered in shoals, and never did we - see a rowing match so attended. The purlieus of Westminster and - St. George's Fields had poured forth their population, and - Billingsgate had supplied its oratory. To attempt to describe the - rowing, or to give the names of Sal this, or Mary that, as they - were bawled from the shore in a tone of encouragement, would be a - gross insult to the understanding of our readers; but the lady - who wore a blue bow in her cap as large as a sunflower, and who - had her garments tied round her legs with a rope, had the - distinguished honour of being declared the victor."</p> - -<p>We are used to hear each newspaper vieing with another as to its -circulation, but the following list is <span class="pagenum"><a id="page160" name="page160"></a>(p. 160)</span> authentic, as every -newspaper had to be stamped by the Inland Revenue, and the numbers as -officially declared must needs be correct. It also supplies an -authentic list of the ephemeral publications of the day. It covers -from January 1, 1832, to June 30, 1833.</p> - -<table border="1" summary="Newspapers"> -<tr> -<td class="center bor_bottop_no">Period of Publication.</td> -<td colspan="2" class="center bor_bottop_no">Title of Newpaper.</td> -<td colspan="2" class="center bor_bottop_no">Number of Stamps.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bot_no">Daily</td> -<td class="bor_bot_no bor_right_no">The Times</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bot_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bot_no bor_right_no td_right">5,727,987</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bot_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Thrice a week</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Evening Mail</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Morning Herald</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">3,949,991</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Thrice a week</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">English Chronicle</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Morning Post</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,047,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Morning Chronicle</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 300%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">2,682,297</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Englishman</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Observer</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Bell's Life in London</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Morning Advertiser</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,696,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Guardian and Public Ledger</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">433,218</td> -<td rowspan="3" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">British Traveller</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Weekly Times</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">County Chronicle</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">213,500</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">County Herald</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">United Kingdom</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">429,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Mark Lane Express<br /> (commenced Jan. 3, 1832)</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 300%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">65,710</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">New Farmer's Journal <br />(commenced Feb. 11, 1833)</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Farmer's Journal<br /> (discontinued July 16, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">46,975</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">British Liberator<br /> (commenced January 13, 1833)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">9,550</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Merle's Weekly Register<br /> (commenced November 19, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">16,452</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Sunday Herald<br /> (commenced April 7, 1833)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">14,300</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Bell's Weekly Messenger</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">776,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Bell's Weekly Dispatch</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">2,330,947</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Ballot</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">93,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Atlas</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">247,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Examiner</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">329,645</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Literary Gazette</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">62,675</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Court Journal</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">185,875</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Naval and Military Gazette <br />(commenced February 9, 1833)</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">New Court Journal<br /> (commenced March 30, 1833;<br /> discontinued June 1)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">4,850</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Cobbett's Weekly Political Register</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">128,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">John Bull</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">445,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Twice weekly</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London Gazette</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">218,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Spectator</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">173,283</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page161" name="page161"></a>(p. 161)</span><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Age</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">519,800</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">News</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">199,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Satirist</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">393,022</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Albion and Star</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">393,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Standard</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 300%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">2,328,500</td> -<td rowspan="4" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Thrice a week</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">St. James's Chronicle</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London Packet</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London Journal</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">True Sun</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">559,140</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Weekly True Sun</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Daily</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Courier</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,170,250</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Globe and Traveller</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,657,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Sun</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,061,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Thrice a week</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Record</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">397,250</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Sunday Times</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">643,500</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Essex and Herts Mercury</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Alfred</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">63,709</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">United Service Gazette<br /> (commenced February 9, 1833)</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Town</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">86,100</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Patriot<br /> (commenced February 22, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">159,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Old England <br />(commenced April 14, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">48,300</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Christian Advocate</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">113,055</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Bell's New Weekly Messenger</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">365,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">The Truth<br /> (commenced February 10, 1833; discontinued March 10)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">5,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">The Athenæum, only one stamped number published within the period</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">10,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Commercial Gazette</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">40,600</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Law Chronicle</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no" style="font-size: 200%;">}</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">10,475</td> -<td rowspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Law Gazette</td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Racing Calendar</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">42,575</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Banker's Calendar</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">16,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Constitution<br /> (discontinued January 15, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">1,500</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">World<br /> (discontinued May 23, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">16,600</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Plain Dealer<br /> (commenced January 1, 1832; discontinued February 19, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">9,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Reflector<br /> (commenced December 15, 1832; discontinued December 29, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">2,600</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Mercantile Journal</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">17,465</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Corn Trade Circular</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">5,250</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Thrice a week</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Course of Exchange</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">8,010</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Commercial Record</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">5,700</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"> Weekly</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London New Price Current</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">22,300</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Universal Corn Reporter<br /> (commenced February 6, 1832)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">20,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">Bankrupt's and Insolvent's Weekly Gazette</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">16,987</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Monthly</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London Literary Gazette </td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">14,250</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no">Weekly</td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">The Movement<br /> (commenced April 28, 1833; discontinued June 3)</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">3,000</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">London Mercantile Price Current</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">5,610</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -<tr> -<td class="bor_bottop_no"><span class="add1em">"</span></td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no">United Kingdom Gazette</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_right_no td_right">4,706</td> -<td class="bor_bottop_no bor_left_no"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr><td class=" bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="bor_bottop_no"> </td></tr> - -</table> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page162" name="page162"></a>(p. 162)</span> Captain Ross, who from May 29, 1829, had been employed in the -<i>Victory</i> steamer on a fresh expedition to the Arctic Regions, at the -expence of Sir Felix Booth, a rich distiller, arrived safely at -Stromness on October 12th, on board the <i>Isabella</i> of Hull (formerly -his own discovery ship), which picked him up in Prince Regent's Inlet -on August 27th, he having finally abandoned his own ship thirteen -months previously. He had a narrow escape of losing all his papers; -for, after showing them at the Admiralty, he left them in a cab. -Luckily, the cabman was honest, and the captain recovered them.</p> - -<p>Parliament (the first reformed) met on January 29th, and it was not -long before the more effective government of Ireland was brought on -for discussion. A Bill for the suppression of disturbances in Ireland -(or, as it was commonly called, "The Coercion Bill") was introduced -into the House of Lords by Earl Grey, was read a first time on -February 15th, and was passed there without a division on February -22nd. But it had a very warm time in the House of Commons, and it was -not passed until March 29th. The Lords agreed with the amendments of -the Commons, and it received the Royal Assent on April 2nd. It is 3 -and 4 Gul. IV. c. 4, "An Act for the more effectual suppression of -local Disturbances and dangerous Associations in Ireland." The Lord -Lieutenant at once put the Act in force, with very good results. The -more daring outrages diminished; for whereas <span class="pagenum"><a id="page163" name="page163"></a>(p. 163)</span> the offences -against the law, in eleven counties, were 472 in March, they were but -162 in May.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img163.jpg" width="350" height="481" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page164" name="page164"></a>(p. 164)</span> Two other Bills, which materially tended to the pacification -of Ireland, were passed, and became law respectively on August 14th -and 28th—3 and 4 Gul. IV. c. 37, "An Act to alter and amend the laws -relating to the Temporalities of the Church in Ireland," and 3 and 4 -Gul. IV. c. 79, "An Act to provide for the more impartial Trial of -Offences in certain cases in Ireland."</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img164.jpg" width="500" height="231" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>The fashions of this year include two walking-dresses, one dinner, and -one ball-dress, together with bonnets, a turban, a cap, and various -modes of dressing the hair. (<i>See preceding page.</i>)</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page165" name="page165"></a>(p. 165)</span> CHAPTER XVI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1834.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Corporation commission — Curious advertisement — Discovery of - treasure — Bribery at Liverpool — Duke of York's statue — Trades' - unions — Skit thereon — Riot at Oldham — Unionist oath — Union - meeting and monster petition — Its fate — Duke of Wellington made - Chancellor of Oxford — The Princess Victoria's lover.</p> - -<p>The first thing of importance in this year was the resumption of the -sittings of the Corporation Commission, which was an inquiry into the -Corporation of London. This object of envy has been several times -attacked, sometimes partially despoiled; always threatened, yet always -vigorous, it is the red rag of the Radical bull. This Commission did -the usual thing—took evidence, and came to nought.</p> - -<p>The year itself was very uneventful in social incidents, so that I -must draw upon divers odds and ends illustrative of the times. Here is -the advertisement of a particularly cool gentleman, culled from the -first page of the <cite>Times</cite>, January 17th—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">An Heir.</span></p> - - <p>"A single gentleman, member of an English university, disgusted - at some family differences, is desirous of relinquishing his - connections and changing his name. The advertiser, who is a - gentleman of good education, affable manners, and pleasing - address, submits the proposal to the consideration of the - affluent, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page166" name="page166"></a>(p. 166)</span> who have no issue. A full explanation will be - entered into, and most respectable and satisfactory references - given. Apply, etc."</p> -</div> - -<p>Next is a paragraph from the <cite>Cambrian</cite>, quoted in the same <cite>Times</cite>—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Remarkable Submarine Discovery.</span></p> - - <p>"Among the occurrences which have been transmitted by tradition - to our neighbours in Gower, is the account of the wreck of a - homeward-bound Spanish galleon, laden with dollars, on Rhosily - Sands, near the Wormshead, shortly after the conquest of South - America by the Spaniards; that the crew, without giving - information of the nature of her cargo, sold the wreck for a - trifle to a Mr. Thomas, of Pitton, who, not being aware of the - value of his purchase, or from some other cause, took no pains - for her recovery, and that she shortly became completely embedded - in the sands. Nevertheless, suspicion always existed in that part - of the country that she must have had on board some valuable - articles; and, about twenty-six years ago, in consequence of the - sand having drifted very unusually, part of the wreck, in a very - decayed state, became visible, and a great quantity of dollars, - with some old iron and pewter, were then dug up from some depth - in the sand. The late Mr. John Beynon, of Pitton, having failed - to prove by any written document the purchase of the vessel by - his ancestor (the above-named Mr. Thomas), Mr. Talbot, of Penrice - Castle, the lord of the manor, became entitled to the property, - but he generously refused to accept it; consequently, many of the - inhabitants were much enriched by this fortuitous circumstance. - The spot where the vessel struck being only open at four hours - ebb-tide, and the sand having returned to its old quarters, the - money-hunters were obliged to desist in their attempts, and all - hope was abandoned of any further booty from that source. During - the late gales, however, the sand having shifted again, the spot - was once more resorted to, and the recovery of a very large - quantity of dollars has been the result, some bearing the date of - 1631, others further back. The circumstance has created a very - peculiar interest in the neighbourhood; and, as it is not likely - that the present lord of the manor, C. R. Talbot, Esq., will - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page167" name="page167"></a>(p. 167)</span> deviate from the precedent of his respected father, it - is to be hoped that the neighbourhood, which is very poor, will - be considerably benefited by this occurrence."</p> -</div> - -<p>On March 19th the House of Commons passed a bill disenfranchising the -Freemen of Liverpool for bribery at the late election, but it did not -pass the Lords. Liverpool had formerly an unenviable notoriety for -this sort of thing, and it is said that in 1830, when Messrs. Denison -and Ewart contested the borough after the death of Mr. Huskisson, it -cost each of the candidates over £40,000! The <cite>Times</cite> of February 26, -1834, in a leading article on this election, says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"On this occasion, likewise, votes rose in price as the contest - advanced, and towards its conclusion a single vote was sold for - £80! Nearly every freeman who came to poll was bribed. The - tickets given for enabling parties to claim payment from Mr. - Denison's committee amounted to two thousand; and one of the - witnesses having obtained these tickets, copied from them into a - poll-book, against the name of each voter, the sum which had been - paid him. The following is the analysis of the list of the other - candidate, Mr. Ewart's voters, with their respective prices, as - drawn up by his own law agent:—</p> -<table summary="Prices"> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">600</td> -<td class="center">freemen</td> -<td class="center">received</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£10</td> -<td class="center">and</td> -<td class="center">under.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">462</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">between</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£10</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">£20</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">209</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£20</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">£30</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">24</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£30</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">£40</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">7</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£40</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">£50</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">1</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">...</td> -<td class="center">£60</td> -<td colspan="2"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">——</td> -<td colspan="7"> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td class="td_right">1303</td> -<td colspan="7"> </td> -</tr> -</table> - - <p>"One circumstance which disgracefully distinguished the bribery - practised on these two occasions, was the open, fearless, and - shameless manner in which it was conducted. The respective - parties <span class="pagenum"><a id="page168" name="page168"></a>(p. 168)</span> advertised for supporters, and announced the - price which they were ready to give for votes on the walls of - their committee rooms. Tickets or tally-papers were openly - distributed, which were as regularly paid. The ingenious - conductors of the election had thus the merit of systemizing - corruption—of making the sale of consciences a counting-house - affair, with the proper assortment of promissory notes or - poll-tickets and bags of gold, with cashiers, examiners, and - controllers of account!</p> - - <p>"Another most striking and most melancholy characteristic of the - contest was not only the universality of corruption among the - poorer freemen, but the height to which the tide rose among - persons in better circumstances, whom, but for the levelling - nature of the system and the gradual decay of the moral sense - which it produces, the infamy ought not to have reached. It was - mentioned by the treasurer of Mr. Ewart's committee that several - 'respectable' persons received large sums of money. A retired - brewer demanded £50; a captain in the militia received £35; three - brothers, 'respectable men,' were paid £30 a-piece; a druggist - and his father, both 'respectable men,' each received £20; and a - 'respectable man,' worth £10,000, as he came early in the - contest, was satisfied to pocket the paltry sum of £12!"</p> -</div> - -<p>The statue of the Duke of York was placed upon its column in Carlton -Gardens on April 11th, and the <cite>Examiner</cite> of the 12th thus speaks of -it—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The announcement of the newspapers that the elevation of the - Duke of York's statue was to be celebrated with military honours - drew a vast number of people to Carlton Gardens and the - neighbouring houses. There was, however, no military spectacle, - not even a military band to while away the time during the slow - process of hoisting up the statue, which did not reach the top of - the column till the people had dispersed, who had spent the day - in wondering what was to happen to requite them for their trouble - in coming to the spot and the tedium of waiting. Nothing was to - be seen but a bit of canvas fluttering in the bitter east wind, - showing the place of the statue, to which it served as wrapper. - The ascent was imperceptibly slow, such as <span class="pagenum"><a id="page169" name="page169"></a>(p. 169)</span> sailors - proverbially say is the progress of lawyers to heaven. The weight - of the statue is said to be seven tons, and the height above - thirteen feet. A woman in the crowd, according to the <cite>Globe</cite>, - observed, 'The Duke of York was never so large as that.' The same - criticism was made by a learned judge on the statue of Canning at - Westminster, and his companion, Mr. Thesiger, agreeing that - Canning was not so large, readily perfected the criticism by - adding 'nor so green either.'</p> - - <p>"The statue of the Duke of York turns his back on the town and - his face to the Park. This arrangement was contrary to the - judgment of Mr. Westmacott, but insisted on by the Duke of - Wellington, who held it a point of propriety that the - Commander-in-Chief should face the Horse Guards. His Grace also - contends that it will be seen by more people from the Park below - than from Waterloo Place—another curious evidence of the - correctness of his observation. But this is not the Duke's first - mistake as to public views. It now seems that the Duke of York is - ashamed to show his face to the town, and, what to military - notions is worse, he turns his back on Waterloo Place.</p> - - <p>"On the base of the monument should be inscribed, 'He made - creditors pitied!'—an effect never before produced, as the - sympathies of the world generally runs with poor debtors, and - creditors are only thought of and talked of as 'hard' and - 'cruel.' No general in history was ever so heavily charged as the - Commander-in-Chief, and yet the charges of his creditors were the - only charges the general ever defeated."</p> -</div> - -<p>In May, people were much exercised about Trades' Unions, which were -then being formed, and, as is their nature, leading to strikes, some -of which were then becoming serious, as in the cases of the cotton -spinners and the journeymen tailors. An attempt was made to turn the -movement into ridicule, as shown by the following, but without -effect—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page170" name="page170"></a>(p. 170)</span> "<span class="smcap">Circular Letter and Regulations from the Grand Lodge of - Ladies' Maids.</span></p> - -<p>"<span class="smcap">Madam</span>,</p> - - <p>"By direction of the Friendly Society of Operative Ladies' Maids, - I have to inform you that, to stay the ruinous effects which a - destructive fashionable competition has so long been inflicting - on them, they have resolved to introduce certain new regulations - into their profession, which regulations they intend should - commence from Monday next; and I herewith beg to enclose a copy - of them—</p> - -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Regulations.</span></p> - - <p>"No sister shall be allowed to work, except for herself, from the - first day of May to the last day of April. No sister shall plait, - brush, or dress her lady's hair, or wait upon her in - sickness—except for such extra remuneration as each sister shall - deem it expedient to ask. No sister shall be called before ten in - the morning, nor shall any sister remain in a service where she - is refused a fire in her own room, an armchair, a subscription to - a circulating library, the free use of her lady's clothes, and as - many followers as she may like to retain. No lady shall presume - to part with her maid or to hire another without the consent of - all the ladies' maids within four miles of Grosvenor Square. Nor - shall any lady buy any gown, bonnet, or any article of dress that - may not be made serviceable or profitable to her maid, nor shall - she be allowed to retain the same in wear after the Grand United - Lodge of Operative Ladies' Maids shall have declared it a lawful - perquisite. No sister shall be allowed to ask leave to go out, - nor shall any sister be contradicted or found fault with, neither - shall she be put up with a small looking-glass, nor with a room - with a northern aspect.</p> - - <p>"As the demands here specified are of so reasonable a nature, and - as, moreover, they are unquestionably calculated for the benefit - of the employers as well as the employed, the Society confidently - hopes that you will accede to them, and, henceforth, a mutual - confidence may be sustained between ladies and their maids, and - that they will, for the future, consent to lace each other's - stays, and dress each other's hair.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page171" name="page171"></a>(p. 171)</span> "It only remains for me to add that your ladies' maids, - members of this Society, will cease to answer your bell, though - you may ring it ever so often, should you decline to act upon the - new regulations; and, further, I think it right to apprize you - that, in that case, they will think it no longer necessary to - keep any family secrets with which they may have made themselves - acquainted.</p> - -<p>"I am, Madam, Your obedient, humble servant,</p> - -<p class="signa">"<span class="smcap">Sarah Brown</span>,<br /> - - "Secretary to the Grand United Lodge<br /> - - of Operative Ladies' Maids."</p> -</div> - -<p>People hardly knew what to make of these Trades' Unions, and, at their -beginning, they seemed to be somewhat antagonistic to authority, and -decidedly subversive of existing institutions. And, perhaps, in the -first flush of his emancipation, the working man had somewhat crude -ideas of his position, and was a little too fond of processions, -meetings, and showing himself in public. For instance, on April 15th, -there was a riot of a serious description at Oldham. On the previous -day, two members of a Trades' Union, at a meeting of their body, were -arrested by some policemen, after a desperate struggle. They were on -their road to Hollinwood, near Manchester, under the custody of two -officers, for the purpose of being examined, when a large crowd -attacked the officers, whom they beat severely, and rescued the -prisoners. This occurred in front of Bankside Mill, which belonged to -a Mr. Thompson, who was disliked by the Unionists on account of his -employment of "Knobsticks," or men not belonging to the Union. These -"Knobsticks" had <span class="pagenum"><a id="page172" name="page172"></a>(p. 172)</span> been provided with arms for their defence, -but, as it turned out, used them for offence; for, appearing at the -windows of the building, they made a foolish display of their weapons, -and fired blank cartridge at the passing mob. One gun, at least, must -have been loaded with ball, for a man named James Bentley was killed.</p> - -<p>This so incensed the mob, that the windows of the manufactory were -immediately demolished, the dwelling house of the proprietor entered, -and a total destruction of its contents effected. The liquors were -drank in the cellars, the cabinets rifled and broken, the victuals -eaten, and about £50 in money stolen. One of the lower rooms was -filled with printing cloths, to which the mob set fire. The arrival of -a party of lancers eventually caused the dispersion of the mob. The -two Union men who were rescued afterwards surrendered, and were -liberated on bail; meanwhile, the town was in a state of great -confusion. A meeting of upwards of ten thousand operatives was held -next day on Oldham Edge or Moor, at which resolutions to support their -fellows were made. At a coroner's inquest subsequently held on the -body of the individual who was shot, a verdict of <em>manslaughter</em> was -returned.</p> - -<p>The <cite>Times</cite> of May 5th gives the following as—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The Oath of the Unionists</span>.</p> - - <p>"I (each party here to repeat his name), being in the presence - of Almighty God and this assembly, do voluntarily <span class="pagenum"><a id="page173" name="page173"></a>(p. 173)</span> - declare that I will persevere in maintaining and supporting a - brotherhood known by the name of the United Operative <span class="add4em"> </span> - of the Grand National Consolidated Trades' Union of Great Britain - and Ireland, and I do further promise that I will, to the utmost - of my power, assist them, upon all just and lawful occasions, to - obtain a just remuneration for our labour; nor will I, knowingly, - ever fill the situation of, or finish the work of, any brother - who has left his employer in obedience to the ordinances and - regulations of the Consolidated Union aforesaid; and I call the - Mighty Power who made me, to witness this, my most solemn - obligation, by which I bind myself, that neither hopes nor fears, - rewards nor punishments, nor even the law of life itself, shall - ever induce me, directly or indirectly, to give information - respecting anything contained in this lodge, and that I will - neither write, nor cause to be written, anything appertaining - thereto upon paper, or upon anything else whatsoever, but for the - purposes of the aforesaid Union: and I do further promise to keep - inviolable all its rules, signs, and secrets. Neither will I ever - give consent to have any of its money divided, or appropriated to - any other purpose than to the uses of this lodge, and for the end - of the aforesaid Consolidated Union. And may God keep me - steadfast in this my most solemn obligation."</p> -</div> - -<p>It was for taking unlawful oaths, probably of this kind, that six men -had been convicted at Dorchester Assizes, a fact which so worked upon -the Trades' Unions of London, that on April 21st they met in their -might to the number of thirty thousand, in Copenhagen Fields, and -proceeded in procession to Whitehall to present a monster petition -(which it took twelve men to carry) in the convicts' favour, to the -Home Secretary. Lord Melbourne refused to receive it, thus brought, -but consented to see a deputation. This did not suit the agitators, -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page174" name="page174"></a>(p. 174)</span> and, as the only answer they could get was that Lord -Melbourne had seen a copy of the petition; that he did not disapprove -of its language; and that, if that petition should be presented on -another day, and in a becoming manner, he would receive it and lay it -before the King;—they retired, taking the petition with them, -rejoining and reporting their interview to the main body of the -procession, which had halted on Kennington Common. This broke up the -meeting, and the crowd melted away, having behaved most peaceably. On -the 24th the petition was presented to Lord Melbourne by a deputation -from the Trades' Unions, and laid before the King in the usual way.</p> - -<p>On the death of Lord Grenville, the Duke of Wellington was made -Chancellor of the University of Oxford. He had previously received the -distinction of having been made (<i lang="la">in absentiâ</i>) a D.C.L. of the -University in 1814, when this honour was also bestowed on the Emperor -of Russia, the King of Prussia, and Marshal Blücher. At his -installation on June 10th he wore his Chancellor's robes of black silk -and gold, and H. B. has given us a very graphic portrait of him on -this occasion: and he was attended by the Marquis of Londonderry, Lord -Montague, Lord Apsley, Lord Hill, Lord Mohun, Sir George Murray, Sir -Henry Hardinge, Sir S. Acland, Sir Robert Inglis, and Sir Charles -Wetherell. There were likewise present eleven members of the -episcopal bench. Among the ladies were to be seen <span class="pagenum"><a id="page175" name="page175"></a>(p. 175)</span> the -Princess Lieven, the Marchioness of Salisbury, and the Countesses of -Clanwilliam and Brownlow. The Rev. John Keble of Oriel, so well known -to us as the author of <cite>The Christian Year</cite> (then professor of -poetry), wrote the installation ode—and the Duke's reception was -magnificent.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img175.jpg" width="300" height="407" alt="" title="Rev. John Keble of Oriel." /> -</div> - -<p>The Princess Victoria had not long entered into her fifteenth year -when she had a lover, whose story is thus told by the <cite>Courier</cite> of -July 24th:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">A Suitor to Royalty.</span></p> - - <p>"A good deal of talk and merriment have been created in - Kensington, in consequence of the eccentricities of a gentleman, - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page176" name="page176"></a>(p. 176)</span> said to hold a rank of some importance in the army, who - has fallen desperately in love with the Princess Victoria, and - who, for some months past, has taken every opportunity of - manifesting the ardour of his passion for her Royal Highness. - From what can be gathered of this eccentric gentleman's - movements, it appears that about the beginning of last spring he - made some very particular inquiries of the keeper at the Mount - Gate, Kensington Gardens, as to the Princess, wishing, in - particular, to know the best way in which he could obtain an - introduction, and whether it was most likely an interview would - be granted at Kensington Palace.</p> - - <p>"The gatekeeper referred the gentleman to the proper authorities - at the palace; after which he received three cards, containing, - as the gentleman said, his titles and dignity, with a request - that they should be immediately forwarded to her Royal Highness - the Princess Victoria. On the cards were written "The King of - Rome," "The Emperor of the Austrias," and "The Grand Lama of - Thibet." Several letters were sent to the palace by this - tripartite potentate, who was constantly seen promenading before - the palace and in the gardens, waiting to obtain the desired - interview with the Princess. One day, while the gatekeepers were - at dinner, he contrived to jump over the palings into the - shrubbery, and there plant a laurel, to which he affixed another - letter to the Princess Victoria; which, of course, when - discovered, was speedily removed.</p> - - <p>"From that time, this gentleman continued to pursue the same - system of eccentricity, and yesterday morning, having made some - further inquiries of the gatekeeper respecting the Princess, the - gatekeeper considered it to be the most prudent course to inform - Sir John Conroy of the persevering conduct of the enamoured - suitor. The gatekeeper having received his instructions, - proceeded to the station-house, and returned to the gardens - accompanied by Inspector McManus, of the T division. The - gatekeeper and the inspector then proceeded towards a bench in - the garden, where the individual in question had taken a seat. - The inspector told him he must take him into custody, unless he - would pledge his honour to abstain, in future, from the - ridiculous system of annoyance he had practised. The individual, - after some demur, gave the required promises, and was allowed to - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page177" name="page177"></a>(p. 177)</span> leave the gardens, after having given a card, which - contained, as was presumed, his real name and rank, which was - stated to be that of a lieutenant-colonel. He was a tall, - military-looking man, with an umbrella and a bunch of lavender, - and apparently about forty-five years of age."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page178" name="page178"></a>(p. 178)</span> CHAPTER XVII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1834.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Crockford's and game — The <i lang="fr">chef</i> in trouble — Burning of the - Houses of Parliament — The tapestry in the House of Lords — Story - of one piece — Temporary House of Lords — Tithe riots in - Ireland — Change of Ministry.</p> - -<p>One would imagine that Crockford's gambling "hell" was too solemn a -place to extract laughter from, but yet there is a police case in -connection with that place, and in which the celebrated <i lang="fr">chef</i> Ude was -principally concerned, which is the reverse of serious.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"On July 25th, M. Eustache Ude, the celebrated French cook, - appeared at Bow Street on a summons at the suit of the Marquess - of Queensberry, for unlawfully disposing of certain birds called - 'red game,' between the 19th of March and the 1st of August, - contrary to the provisions of the Game Laws.</p> - - <p>"Sir Roger Griesley deposed that he was a member of Crockford's - Club House, and one of the managing committee of that - establishment. The defendant was cook there, and on the 19th of - June witness dined at the club house, and saw grouse served in - the room, but did not partake of it.</p> - - <p>"M. Ude: Vell, my dear Sare Rojer, vat is all dis to me? - Certainement you must know dat I don't know vat de devil goes up - into de dining-room. How de devil can I tell veder black game, or - vite game, or red game go up to de dining-room? Dere is plenty of - game always go on in de house, but dat is noting to me. My only - business is to cook for de palates of dose who like de game.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page179" name="page179"></a>(p. 179)</span> "Sir Roger Greisley: I really don't know what, in common - justice, M. Ude can have to do in this matter. He is the cook of - the establishment certainly, but he only prepares what is - ordered. The committee order the things, and he provides - according to that order.</p> - - <p>"M. Ude: Tank you, my dear Sare Rojer. I knew you vould get me - out of de scrape vot de noble marquis has got me into dis time.</p> - - <p>"Charles, Marquess of Queensberry, sworn: I was a member of the - committee at Crockford's, but am not now. I was at Crockford's on - the 19th, and dined, and grouse was served at the table.</p> - - <p>"M. Ude: But, my noble friend (great laughter), as I said to my - friend Sare Rojer, I know noting at all about vot vent into de - room. I never sawed it at all. De orders are given to me. I send - my people to de butcher, and to de poulterer, and to de - fishmonger, and de tings are brought, and I command dem to be - cooked, and dey are cooked, and dat is all I know about it.</p> - - <p>"Sir F. Roe: Whether you know it or not, the Act of Parliament - makes you liable.</p> - - <p>"M. Ude: Upon my honour, dat is very hard. Ven I got de summons I - remonstrated vid my Lord Alvanley, and he say, 'Oh, never mind, - Ude, say dey vere pigeons, instead of grouse.' 'Ah, my lord,' say - I, 'I cannot do better dan call dem pigeons, because dat bird is - so common in dis house.' (Loud laughter.)</p> - - <p>"Sir F. Roe, who appeared greatly to enjoy the scene, said he - must, upon the oaths of the noble marquess and Sir Roger - Griesley, convict the defendant; but he should certainly put the - lowest penalty, namely, 5<i>s.</i></p> - - <p>"M. Ude: Vel, I shall pay de money, but it is dam hard. Ve have - always game in our house, and de poor devil of a cook have to pay - de penalty for it. (Great laughter.)"</p> -</div> - -<p>By the Budget of July 25th, the House Tax, which was imposed in 1695, -was repealed, as was also the stamp duty on almanacks, which had -existed since 1710.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page180" name="page180"></a>(p. 180)</span> The talk of the year was, undoubtedly, the burning of both -Houses of Parliament on the evening of October 16th, caused by the -overheating of a flue whilst some workmen were burning a quantity of -old Exchequer tallies. The following account is taken from the <cite>Annual -Register</cite>.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The two Houses of Parliament, with nearly all their various - offices, the old Painted Chamber, associated with a thousand - historical reminiscences, the libraries of the two houses, etc., - all fell a prey to a destructive fire, which broke out about - half-past six o'clock in the evening. The flames suddenly burst - forth near the entrances of the two houses, and immediately burnt - with a fury almost unparalleled. In less than half an hour from - the first discovery of the flames, the whole interior of the - building from the ground floor to the roof presented, through the - numerous windows with which it was studded, one entire mass of - fire. Thousands of persons instantly assembled, the engines were - in attendance, the police and soldiery on the spot, and every - exertion was made to save the public papers and other important - documents, vast quantities of which were conveyed to a place of - safety, although many were unfortunately consumed.</p> - - <p>"All attempts to save the House of Lords proving abortive, the - firemen directed their attention wholly towards the House of - Commons, and to the preservation of Westminster Hall. The wind, - which previous to this time had blown from the south, at eight - o'clock veered somewhat towards the west, thus throwing the - flames immediately upon the House of Commons, the angle of which, - abutting upon the House of Lords, caught fire; and, - notwithstanding the utmost exertions of the firemen, assisted by - the military, the roof ignited, and fell in with a tremendous - crash, accompanied with an immense volume of flame and smoke, and - emitting in every direction millions of sparks and flakes of - fire. This appearance, combined with the sound, resembling the - report of a piece of heavy ordnance, induced the assembled - multitude to believe that an explosion of gunpowder had taken - place.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page181" name="page181"></a>(p. 181)</span> "The flames now took a different direction; but the - danger to the Hall appeared more imminent than ever. From the - House of Commons the fire appeared to retrograde, as well as to - advance, and, whilst the Speaker's house (which was partially - burnt) was placed in jeopardy on the one side, the range of - Committee-rooms, situate immediately over the members' entrance - to the House of Commons, opposite to Henry VII. chapel, appeared - to be entirely enveloped by the devouring element. A dense black - column of smoke issued from the roof of this part of the - building, which was almost immediately followed by a large column - of flame, and the south end of the wall was therefore at this - time encompassed by burning edifices. At this period several - engines were introduced into the Hall, and an immense quantity of - water was distributed over every part of the building. The - firemen and soldiers employed on the exterior of the building - also redoubled their exertions, apparently wholly regardless of - the danger to which they were exposed by the falling of burning - rafters and the showers of molten lead which poured down upon - them on every side. Their efforts were eventually crowned with - success. That venerable structure escaped comparatively - uninjured, as did the official residence of the Speaker.</p> - - <p>"From an official statement published by the Commissioners of - Woods and Forests, it appears that, in the House of Lords, the - Robing-rooms, the Committee-rooms in the west front, the rooms of - the resident officers, as far as the octagon tower at the south - end of the building, the Painted Chamber, and the north end of - the Royal Gallery, abutting on the Painted Chamber, from the door - leading into that chamber as far as the first compartment of - columns, are totally destroyed. The Library and the adjoining - rooms, as well as the Parliament offices, and the offices of the - Lord Great Chamberlain, together with the Committee-rooms, - housekeeper's apartments, etc., in this building are saved.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img182.jpg" width="500" height="306" alt="" title="Burning of the Houses of Parliament." /> -<p class="center smcap">Burning of the Houses of Parliament, October 16, - 1834.</p></div> - - <p>"In the House of Commons, the House, Libraries, Committee-rooms, - housekeeper's apartments, etc. (excepting the Committee-rooms - Nos. 11, 12, 13, and 14, which are capable of being repaired), - the official residence of Mr. Ley, clerk of the House, and all - the rooms of the Speaker's house, from the oriel window to the - south side of the House of Commons, are entirely destroyed. The - state drawing-room under the House of Commons, the Levee-rooms, - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page183" name="page183"></a>(p. 183)</span> together with the public galleries and part of the - cloisters, are very much damaged.</p> - - <p>"The loss of records sustained is not important, nearly - everything of value having been printed; but among those of the - House of Commons destroyed, are the test and qualification rolls, - signed by the members after taking their oaths; and the original - Warrant for the execution of Charles I. is said to be missing - from the House of Lords.<a id="footnotetag15" name="footnotetag15"></a><a href="#footnote15" title="Go to footnote 15"><span class="smaller">[15]</span></a> ... The books in the lower library - of the House of Commons were saved; but those in the upper room, - including the quantity lately received from France, were - destroyed. The lover of ancient art has to regret the tapestry of - the Spanish Armada, the fragments of ancient painting in the - Painted Chamber, and St. Stephen's Chapel; and the probable - necessary demolition of, at least, the latter of those - structures. Some fine relics of ecclesiastical architecture will, - however, still be preserved in the Speaker's house. A curiosity - saved from the fire, is an oak table marked with the blood of - Perceval."</p> -</div> - -<p>Luckily, drawings of the tapestry hangings in the House of Lords had -been made, and a fine set of engravings of them were published by John -Pine in 1739. There were ten pieces, each illustrating some phase in -the attacks and defeats of the Spanish Armada; and <i>Joachim de -Sandvart</i> tells us<a id="footnotetag16" name="footnotetag16"></a><a href="#footnote16" title="Go to footnote 16"><span class="smaller">[16]</span></a> that the designs for this tapestry were made by -<i>Henry Cornelius Vroom</i>, a famous painter of Haarlem, eminent for his -great skill in drawing all kinds of shipping; and that it was woven by -<i>Francis Spiring</i>. There is a bit of a story attached to one piece of -this tapestry, vide the <cite>Times</cite>, Dec. 5th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At the time the gallery in the late House of Lords was <span class="pagenum"><a id="page184" name="page184"></a>(p. 184)</span> - erected, the tapestry was removed from that portion of the wall - which faced the throne, in order to make way for the gallery; and - the tapestry so taken down, forming part of the ancient and - well-known painting of the Spanish Armada, was placed for safety - in a room appropriated to the Lord Chamberlain. The tapestry lay - there for some time; but it would appear that little value was - attached to it. Subsequently, a servant of Major McArthur, - conceiving that the tapestry was little better than a useless - piece of lumber, offered it, as a present, to a man named Ware, - one of the ticket porters employed about the House of Lords; who, - however, would not accept it as a present, but gave the servant - five shillings for it. He, subsequently, sold it for fifteen - shillings to a broker named Preston, who in turn, made cent. per - cent. upon the article, having sold it for thirty shillings to - Mr. Thorn, in whose possession it remained. The tapestry lay - among other curious articles for some time in the ware room of - Mr. Thorn; and, after the destruction by fire of the Houses of - Lords and Commons, he considered that his purchase might be - turned to good advantage. As it now became a precious relic of - what the flames had destroyed, he set upon it a considerable - price (said to be no less a sum than £400). The tapestry was, for - some time, exhibited to the curious customers by whom his shop - was frequented; and, at length, Mr. Thorn, conceiving that his - Majesty's Government might feel desirous to become the purchasers - of so curious a memorial, wrote to Lord Melbourne upon the - subject, and, subsequently, to his Grace the Duke of Wellington; - in consequence of which, the Commissioners of Woods and Forests - ordered an inquiry to be instituted, with a view to ascertain by - what means Mr. Thorn became possessed of the tapestry."</p> - -<p>The inquiry ended in the tapestry being restored to Mr. Thorn.</p> - -<p>Parliament, which had been prorogued to October 23rd, had to be -further delayed in its meeting till November 25th, the library of the -House of Lords being fitted up for the ceremony of prorogation. It -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page185" name="page185"></a>(p. 185)</span> represented the old House as nearly as possible. At one end -was a gold-burnished chair, which had to do duty for the splendid -throne (of Geo. IV.) which was destroyed; and in front of it appeared -a seat or form for the Lords Commissioners, and a miniature -representation of the woolsack; there were also benches on each side, -and even cross benches, all duly covered with scarlet cloth. There was -a large table in the centre of the chamber, and on it were the -identical boxes that heretofore had appeared on the table of the old -House. The Commons assembled in the committee-rooms, Nos. 4 and 5, -which had not been touched by the fire.</p> - -<p>It was determined that the House of Lords should be immediately fitted -up for the next session of the House of Commons, and the Painted -Chamber for the House of Lords; which, Sir Robert Smirke reported, -might be effected at an expense of £30,000. These works were -immediately commenced, and the Houses were ready for the reception of -members, when they met again on February 19th of next year.</p> - -<p><i lang="fr">Apropos</i> of this conflagration, Raikes says in his <cite>Journal</cite>—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Mr. Hume, during the last session, had been proposing, without - success, a vote to build a larger House of Commons; a wag in the - crowd, watching the progress of the conflagration, exclaimed, - 'There is Mr. Hume's motion carried without a division.'"</p> - -<p>It had not been a very eventful Parliament, that of 1834. A Bill for -the removal of the civil <span class="pagenum"><a id="page186" name="page186"></a>(p. 186)</span> disabilities of the Jews was passed -in the Commons and thrown out in the Lords, as was also a modified -Coercion Bill for Ireland. But that did not prevent outrages in that -country, which were still frequent. One of the most deplorable of the -tithe riots was in December, and took place at Rathcormack, county -Cork. The tithes had been attempted to be levied in November, but so -much obstruction had been made, that troops were applied for, and were -furnished on the 15th of December. On that day every disposition to -resist was shown by the country people; but, although it was necessary -to read the Riot Act, the persons employed in the collection of the -tithe succeeded in levying part of the sums due. On the 18th, a larger -number of persons assembled, and attempted to obstruct the -magistrates, and the civil and military force which accompanied them. -The end of a lane which led to a farm-house was blocked up by a car; -and a body of about six hundred men resisted its removal and the -further progress of the party. Orders were given by the magistrates to -clear the passage; the violence of the people became greater. The Riot -Act was then read. The troops were assailed with volleys of stones; -some of the soldiers and officers were knocked down; and, after every -attempt to persuade the people to disperse had failed, the magistrates -ordered the troops to fire. This they did, and a considerable number -of the mob were wounded, and several killed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img187.jpg" width="350" height="465" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<p>On November 14th Lord Melbourne put his <span class="pagenum"><a id="page187" name="page187"></a>(p. 187)</span> resignation and that -of his colleagues into the hands of the King, who applied to the Duke -of Wellington to form a new cabinet; but the Duke advised his -sovereign to entrust this duty to Sir Robert Peel, and as Sir Robert -was spending the winter in Italy, he offered to carry on the public -business until he could return. A messenger was at once sent off, who -arrived in Rome on November 25th. Sir Robert left <span class="pagenum"><a id="page188" name="page188"></a>(p. 188)</span> next day, -reached England on December 9th, and by the end of December the -official arrangements of the new ministry were complete. This was the -third ministry in 1834, the premiers being Earl Grey, Lord Melbourne, -and Sir R. Peel.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img188.jpg" width="500" height="189" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>The dresses illustrated are two for walking, one dinner, and one for a -ball. The front and back of a cap are also shown.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page189" name="page189"></a>(p. 189)</span> CHAPTER XVIII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1835.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">First cargo of ice to India — Election riots at Halifax and in - Scotland — A female sailor — The new temporary Houses of - Parliament — The King and others hissed — Question of admitting - ladies — A political skit — Deaths of Hunt and Cobbett.</p> - -<p>The chronicle of this year must be made up of odds and ends, for there -is no one thing of absorbing interest to record. And first, we find a -paragraph in The <cite>Times</cite> of January 11th (quoting the <cite>Mechanic's -Magazine</cite>), headed</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Exportation of Ice to India</span>.</p> - - <p>"Lord William Bentinck has presented to Mr. Rogers, supercargo of - the ship <i>Tuscany</i>, a handsome silver vase, bearing the following - inscription: 'Presented by Lord William Bentinck, - Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief in India, to Mr. Rogers, - of Boston, in acknowledgment of the spirit and enterprise which - projected and successfully executed the first attempt to export - (<i>sic</i>) a cargo of American ice into Calcutta.' The quantity of - ice landed by the <i>Tuscany</i> was about one hundred tons, and the - selling price being 6-1/2 cents per lb., it is calculated that - the owners received $12,500 upon an investment which, including - the cost of all the extra precautions for preserving the ice, did - not exceed $500."</p> -</div> - -<p>Owing to the resignation of the ministry in November, 1834, Parliament -was dissolved, and a General Election took place—which, after the -manner <span class="pagenum"><a id="page190" name="page190"></a>(p. 190)</span> of the times, conduced to riotous behaviour in several -places. At the close of the poll at Halifax, on January 14th, the -yellow, or Reforming party, attacked various houses, public and -private. In some, they contented themselves with breaking windows -only; in others, they entered the premises, broke all the window -frames, window shutters, inside and out, and other wood-work, and -completely demolished every article of furniture within their reach. -The mob, three hundred in number, entered the house of Mr. J. Norris, -simultaneously, through the dining-room windows, library windows, and -by breaking down the principal door. All the windows were broken to -pieces—the window frames, in many places; and the whole furniture in -the dining-room and library, and all the pictures, with the exception -of six or eight, which were badly injured, were destroyed; whilst the -plate was stolen, the bookcase was smashed, and quantities of books -were taken from the shelves and torn to pieces. These, with music -books and prints, were scattered over the lawn in front of the house, -and in the garden, until the place looked as if it had been covered -with snow. A grand piano was smashed to atoms, together with other -musical instruments; a marble mantelpiece was broken, and the place -was wrecked.</p> - -<p>A similar attack on the vicarage was repelled. At Shaw Lodge, the -residence of Mr. J. Holdsworth, the mob entered the house, and -demolished all before them. At the Field, Mr. J. Staveley's house -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page191" name="page191"></a>(p. 191)</span> was attacked and entered, and all the furniture, pictures, -etc., were smashed, as well as the windows and window frames of the -house and warehouse adjoining. Many other houses were attacked and -received different degrees of damage, and the mob did not disperse -till the arrival of a troop of lancers.</p> - -<p>In Scotland, serious rioting took place at Jedburgh and Hawick, -polling places for the County of Selkirk, when Captain Elliot, the -ministerial candidate, was defeated by Lord John Scott. On the morning -of January 17th, the second day of polling, the Jedburgh mob, having -learned the probable success of the Conservative candidate, began to -assume a surly aspect. Lord John Scott, on making his appearance, was -loudly hissed; and, when leaving the town, a few ruffians assaulted -him, by throwing pieces of ice, etc., but, fortunately, without doing -him any injury. In the afternoon, when the certain defeat of Captain -Elliot's party became evident, symptoms of restlessness were displayed -by a great part of the crowd, and several voters and others, in the -interest of his lordship, could only with great difficulty reach the -polling place; later in the evening the conduct of many of those -assembled became more outrageous, and several of the friends of Lord -John Scott were struck and abused by the mob; but the streets were -quiet at night.</p> - -<p>At Hawick, the mob was much more riotous. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page192" name="page192"></a>(p. 192)</span> On the 16th, the -first day of polling, notwithstanding the strong constabulary force -sworn in for the occasion, the crowd got very noisy, and used every -sort of annoyance to the voters for Lord John Scott, such as pushing, -spitting, throwing stones and snowballs, and tearing clothes, etc., -while they cheered the voters for Captain Elliot. As the day advanced, -the rabble got worse and worse, insulting and maltreating all voters, -and others friendly to his lordship's cause, in defiance of the -strenuous efforts of the sheriff and a number of the justices of the -peace, the bailies and others. The Sheriff ultimately found it -necessary to read the Riot Act.</p> - -<p>On closing the poll for the day, the mob surrounded the Tower Inn -(where Lord John's voters were), and, whenever any person attempted to -leave the inn to go home, he was immediately attacked and abused; in -consequence of which a great number were compelled to remain at the -inn during the night. The doors of the inn were frequently attempted -to be forced open, most of the windows were broken; and, in the course -of the night, the windows of the houses of many of the inhabitants -were riddled with stones. An additional number of constables were -sworn in on Saturday.</p> - -<p>The mob appeared more desperate than on the preceding day, and every -means of intimidation were practised to prevent Lord John's voters -coming forward; in one case where a voter in that interest was going -to the booth in a carriage, the crowd <span class="pagenum"><a id="page193" name="page193"></a>(p. 193)</span> attempted to upset -it—and, upon his voting and returning from the booth, he was seized, -in spite of the efforts of the constables, and abused and maltreated. -The Riot Act was again read, and the town became quieter, especially -when a troop of the Scot's Greys arrived. Captain Elliot, the defeated -candidate, in his address after the election, thanked the populace for -their orderly conduct!</p> - -<p>I have given these as specimens of ante-ballot elections in time when -William IV. was King.</p> - -<p>Most of us know the ballad of <cite>Billee Taylor</cite>, how he was impressed -and taken to sea—and how</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p>"Soon his true love followed 'arter<br /> - <span class="add1em">Under the name of Richard Carr,</span><br /> - And her lily white hands she daubed all over<br /> - <span class="add1em">With the nasty pitch and tar."</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>And some of us may probably know the true history of Mary Ann Talbot, -who fought both in the army and navy, and was wounded both in the -ankle and in the thigh, a little above the knee, in the action of the -"Glorious First of June." She lay in Haslar Hospital without her sex -being discovered, afterwards was taken prisoner by the French; then -shipped to America as steward, and when going a voyage to the -Mediterranean, was impressed, and discovered her sex rather than serve -again in the navy.</p> - -<p>But her story belongs to the latter part of the eighteenth and -beginning of the nineteenth centuries. Here is one, happening in this -year, and is thus <span class="pagenum"><a id="page194" name="page194"></a>(p. 194)</span> reported in all the newspapers of the time, -and in the <cite>Annual Register</cite>.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"<span class="smcap">Mansion House</span>, 10th Feb.—The Lord Mayor having observed a - statement in the <cite>Observer</cite> newspaper relative to a female who - for some time past had performed the duties of a seaman, directed - an inspector of police to make inquiries into the circumstances, - in order that, if the girl required assistance, it might be - rendered to her, without subjecting her to annoyance. The - inspector now appeared before the Lord Mayor, accompanied by the - girl, the captain of the vessel in which she came to London, and - several gentlemen who felt an interest in the remarkable details - of the case.</p> - - <p>"Captain McIntire, of the <i>Sarah</i>, from Belfast, stated that he - met the girl, whose name is Ann Jane Thornton, at St. Andrew's, - in North America. She was dressed in sailor's clothes, and had - all the appearance of having been brought up to that employment. - He engaged her at nine dollars a month to act as cook and - steward, and considered that she was what she seemed to be, until - a few days before the arrival of the vessel in the port of - London. It appeared that some of the crew had suspected her sex - before she was seen washing in her berth, from the circumstance - of her having repeatedly refused to drink grog.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: It has been reported that she was ill-treated by - her captain and the crew. I wish to be particularly informed upon - that point. Captain McIntire said he would call upon the girl to - say whether he had not uniformly treated her with kindness, and - whether, when her sex was discovered, the degree of kindness and - care was not increased. The girl declared that Captain McIntire - had acted towards her with humanity, and had desired her to - complain to him if any of the crew attempted to treat her - harshly. She had been, in the course of the voyage, struck by - some of the sailors, because she could not work as hard as they - did—a thing she found it difficult to do in a gale of wind, but - she did not tell the captain, as she determined to endure as much - as possible, without grumbling.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Is it possible that this mere girl, for she - cannot be more than sixteen or seventeen years of age, performed - the duties of a seaman?</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page195" name="page195"></a>(p. 195)</span> "Captain McIntire: It is, my lord. She performed them to - admiration. She would run up to hand (<i>sic</i>) the topgallant sail - in any sort of weather, and we had a severe passage. Poor girl! - she had a hard time of it, she suffered greatly from the wet, but - she bore it all excellently, and was a capital seaman.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Is the account of the romantic pursuit of the - person she is said to be attached to correct? Is it true that she - went to America after the captain who was said to be her - sweetheart?</p> - - <p>"McLean said that the account she had given him corresponded with - that which had appeared before the public; but she would, - herself, mention the particulars.</p> - - <p>"Captain McIntire said that he had no doubt of the correctness of - her statement. She was not at all given to loquacity. On the - contrary, she did the duty of a seaman without a murmur, and had - infinitely better use of her hands than of her tongue.</p> - - <p>"This description of the female sailor seemed to be accurate. Her - hands appeared as if they were covered with thick brown leather - gloves, and it was only by repeated questioning the Lord Mayor - got from her the facts, of which the following is the substance—</p> - - <p>"Ann Jane Thornton stated that she is in the seventeenth year of - her age. Her father, who is now a widower, took her and the rest - of his family from Gloucestershire, where she was born, to - Donegal, when she was six years old. He was owner of stores in - that part of Ireland, and in good circumstances, and was always - affectionate to her. She regretted that she had quitted her home, - for her departure, of which she had given no previous notice to - her father, must have caused him many a sorrowful hour. When she - was only thirteen years old, she met Captain Alexander Burke, - whose father resided in New York, and was the owner of vessels - there; and, before she was fifteen, they became strongly attached - to each other. Soon after, Burke was obliged to go to New York, - and she took up the resolution to follow him. She quitted her - father's house accompanied by a maid-servant and a boy, and, - having procured a cabin-boy's dress, she exerted herself to - obtain a passage to America. The servant-maid and boy took leave - of her immediately upon her embarking, the latter being charged - with a message to her father, informing him of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page196" name="page196"></a>(p. 196)</span> her - intention. By degrees she became reconciled to the labours of her - new employment, but she beheld with joy the shores of New York, - where she thought her labours would terminate. The moment she - landed, she went off in her cabin-boy's dress to the house of - Captain Burke's father, and said that she had worked under the - captain's orders, and wished to be engaged by him again. It was - by the father of the young man she was informed that his son had - died only a few days before. America, however, was no place in - which to look for sympathy. In the belief that the sea (which no - doubt her affection for Burke recommended to her) was a more - probable mode of existence than any she could adopt in the dress - of her sex, she applied for and obtained a situation as cook and - steward in the <i>Adelaide</i>, and, subsequently, in the <i>Rover</i>, in - which latter vessel she sailed to St. Andrew's, where she fell in - with Captain McIntire. The captain of the <i>Rover</i> had agreed to - take her to Belfast, but he received an order from the owners to - sail for the West Indies, and, as she was resolved to return to - her father as soon as possible, she refused to accompany him. For - thirty-one months she had been engaged in these remarkable - adventures, and participated in the most severe toils of the - crews of which she formed part.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: And are you not weary of so harassing a life?</p> - - <p>"Girl: Yes. I am anxious to get home. I hope and believe that my - father will forgive me for the sorrow I have caused him. I have - had my own sorrows, too.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: How did it happen that you fancied the sailor's - dress, well knowing that by assuming the appearance of one you - pledged yourself to perform such terrible duties?</p> - - <p>"Girl: I couldn't think of any other way, and I did the duties as - well as I could. I underwent a good deal. I travelled from East - Port in North America to St. Andrew's by myself, a distance of - seventy miles through the woods. I walked all the way.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: And without sustaining any injury?</p> - - <p>"Girl: I received none. I knew the sailor's clothes would carry - me through safe, and at St. Andrew's I met Captain McIntire.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: I will give directions that you be taken care - of until I can hear from your father, to whom I shall <span class="pagenum"><a id="page197" name="page197"></a>(p. 197)</span> - write to-night. You have done him great wrong by abandoning him - under any pretence, but you have suffered bitterly for your - disobedience.</p> - - <p>"The information which the Lord Mayor received from Ireland was - that, soon after the girl had left her home, her father had - emigrated, with many others, to Canada, for the purpose of - seeking his fortune among the numberless adventurers who ran away - from Irish turbulence and starvation at that period, and that he - had sent back no intelligence to Ireland since his departure. In - Donegal, however, a sister of the young woman was found to - reside, who expressed great joy at hearing of her relation. The - Lord Mayor gave the girl adequate means of defraying her expenses - to Donegal."</p> -</div> - -<p>Parliament was to meet on February 19th, and there was but scant time -to prepare and furnish places for them to meet in. As these temporary -premises have long since been consigned to limbo, and as even very -little tradition remains of them, I may be pardoned for giving a short -contemporary account of them, which contrasts forcibly with the -beautiful palace in which our legislature is now housed.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The approaches to the House of Lords are very limited; the - Peers, as well as the King, must enter by the Royal doorway and - gallery throughout the session, and both parties must enter the - body of the house by the same doorway—namely, that at the end of - the Royal Gallery, formerly opening into the Painted Chamber, now - the House of Lords. Facing this doorway is the woolsack, and a - very small one it is compared with its predecessor; and, - immediately behind it, and to the right of the doorway, is - stationed the throne, against that end of the House which abuts - upon the Thames; this, like the woolsack, is of very diminished - proportions, when contrasted with the grand and gorgeous affair - in the former House of Lords, as <span class="pagenum"><a id="page198" name="page198"></a>(p. 198)</span> may be inferred when it - is stated that it is the identical throne constructed for George - IV.'s Council Chamber in a room in Carlton House.</p> - - <p>"The present House of Lords is remarkably narrow, as may be - imagined from the fact that the cross benches (the arrangement of - the old house being followed, though somewhat in miniature) will - not conveniently accommodate three or four peers each. There are - side galleries for the peers, approached by staircases in the - body of the House, but in line with the bar. All the furniture, - the forms, etc., are covered with crimson and brass binding, as - was the case in the former House. There are six richly gilt - chandeliers, suspended by long lacquered chains, for the purpose - of lighting the House. Both Houses are to be heated by steam - apparatus, similar to that used in King's College Chapel, etc. In - the Lords the conductors appear in the House, but are neatly - enclosed with iron casings: in the Commons the heat ascends - through a large grating in the centre of the floor of the House.</p> - - <p>"There is a large gallery for strangers in the House of Lords, - that is, that it projects well into the House, instead of being - out of the House, as was the case with the accommodation formerly - accorded by their Lordships. The front row of this gallery is - arranged for the Press, separated from the rest of the gallery by - a high partition, or backboard, and approachable at the end of - the gallery by a passage for the exclusive advantage of the front - row.</p> - - <p>"The arrangement of seats in the Commons differs materially from - that which characterized St. Stephen's. Here, all is remarkably - open. There are no places under the gallery; all the members' - seats, to the very end of the House, and even in the members' - side galleries (there being no woodwork, only two iron rails in - front) are as visible to all the House as the Treasury or - Opposition benches, so that there will no longer be the - opportunities of retreating into recesses or behind curtains, and - there indulge in high-sounding sleep, or in still more - unparliamentary, because far more modern, exclamations and - imitations, when midnight may have approached, to give notice - that the 'crowing' of the cock or the 'braying' of patient - steeds may be expected. These things may again distinguish - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page199" name="page199"></a>(p. 199)</span> the assembly, but those who contribute to such - distinction must now, at least, be <em>seen</em> by strangers as well as - members. This may not be without its good effect in awing even - the most refractory into something like respect for others, if - they have no great deal for themselves. The woodwork is entirely - of oak, and the seats are covered with green leather. The - Speaker's chair is constructed like the old chair, which was - after a design furnished by Sir C. Wren, though that chair is - introduced in the celebrated picture of Oliver Cromwell desiring - the 'bauble' to be removed. The Royal arms are not at the top, as - that would have intercepted the view of the gallery behind the - Chair, which will be chiefly appropriated to the press, and under - the Speaker's control."</p> -</div> - -<p>At the opening of Parliament, the Dukes of Cumberland and Wellington, -several of the bishops, and some members of the House of Commons, were -soundly hissed; nay, the King himself, when he opened Parliament on -the 24th, was served the same, and two men were taken up for the said -offence—one of them not only having groaned in a violent manner, but -having called out, "There goes a d—d villain." Both had to find bail -to keep the peace, self in £40, and two sureties in £20, which, not -being forthcoming, they were locked up in default.</p> - -<p>Whilst on the subject of this new Parliament, I may mention that on -March 12th, the Hon. C. Berkeley gave notice that on May 1st he should -move that a portion of the Strangers' Gallery in that House be set -apart for the accommodation of ladies—which elicited "great -laughter." But his motion never came off, for, on the date fixed, the -House was in its Easter vacation, but was referred <span class="pagenum"><a id="page200" name="page200"></a>(p. 200)</span> to a -committee to report on. On April 9th Sir Robert Peel and his ministry -resigned, and was succeeded by Lord Melbourne as Prime Minister.</p> - -<p>Anent this, on June 1st, two men were charged at Bow Street, with -causing a great mob by halloaing forth an harangue, entitled, "The -political form of Matrimony between the Whigs and the people"; a -portion of which is as follows:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Now, there was a man in the House of Incurables, whose name was - Melbourne, and that man was perfect and upright. There was a day - when the Reformers came to present themselves before the King and - Bobby;<a id="footnotetag17" name="footnotetag17"></a><a href="#footnote17" title="Go to footnote 17"><span class="smaller">[17]</span></a> and Billy<a id="footnotetag18" name="footnotetag18"></a><a href="#footnote18" title="Go to footnote 18"><span class="smaller">[18]</span></a> said unto Bobby, 'Whence comest thou?' - And Bobby answered, 'From going to and fro from St. Stephen's.' - And Billy said, 'My servant Melbourne is perfect and upright, and - one that feareth the King and supporteth the rights of the - people.' And Bobby said, 'Do they serve the people for nought? - Put forth thine hand and touch his office, and he will mock the - people to their face, place for place, pension for pension—yea, - all that the Whigs have, will they give for their pensions.' And - Billy then said to Bobby, 'His office is in thy power.' And a - messenger came unto Melbourne and said, 'Thy Ministry is - dissolved, and Bobby is chosen in thy stead, and I alone am left - to tell thee.' Then Melbourne arose and rent his wig, and shaved - his head, and fasted three days in sackcloth and ashes. - 'Pensionless came I unto office, and pensionless shall I go out. - Billy gave, and Billy taketh away; and blessed be the name of - Billy.'"</p> - -<p>Lord Melbourne, however, remained Premier during the whole of the -King's reign. Whilst on politics, I may mention that two noted -Radicals died this year—Henry Hunt in February, and William Cobbett -on June 18th.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page201" name="page201"></a>(p. 201)</span> CHAPTER XIX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1835.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Gambling house police case — Curious superstition — A cook's letter - to her mistress — Jews and public employment — Fire at Hatfield - House — Curious discovery of jewels — Scarcity in Ireland.</p> - -<p>Under the year 1833, I called attention to the prevalence of -gaming-houses, but, in spite of the efforts made to put them down, -they still flourished, as we see from the annexed police report, taken -from the <cite>Times</cite> of July 7th.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"<span class="smcap">Marlborough Street.</span>—William Smart, the proprietor of a - gaming-house in the Quadrant, called the 'Regent Circus Club,' - appeared before Mr. Dyer, yesterday, on a warrant charging him - with committing an assault on a man named John Ward, under the - following circumstances. The complainant stated that he had for - some time filled a situation in the gaming-house kept by the - defendant, but no longer wishing to have anything to do with such - disgraceful proceedings, he gave the defendant warning to leave; - but, when he applied for his wages, he was attacked by the - defendant, and most cruelly beaten by him.</p> - - <p>"The defendant, in answer to the charge, stated it was totally - false, and that the first assault had been committed by the - complainant himself. The truth was, that he had been discharged - from his situation on account of his having retained some money - which did not belong to him. The complainant denied this - statement, and said that his reason for leaving the service was - on account of the disgust he felt at the proceedings that were - going forward, and the system of robbery that was practised - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page202" name="page202"></a>(p. 202)</span> upon the gentlemen who went to the defendant's house. He - here handed to the magistrate a couple of the dice that were made - use of in the defendant's house, saying, at the same time, that - they were loaded for the purposes of deception.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Dyer, after examining the dice, said that although it was - certainly very disgraceful, if it were true, to make use of such - instruments to rob the persons who might be foolish enough to - enter a house of such a description, yet that had nothing to do - with the present question. He considered the assault proved, and - therefore called upon the defendant to find bail.</p> - - <p>"A person, who said he attended professionally for the defendant, - said they had now to make a charge against the complainant of - having wilfully broken a valuable pane of plate glass. It - appeared that this occurrence took place at a house of a similar - description to that kept by the defendant, and which belonged to - one of his friends or a relation, called 'The Melton Club,' in - Park Lane.</p> - - <p>"Ward, the complainant, said that he went there for the purpose - of asking for his money, but could not gain admittance. He - accidentally broke the window, and gained admission as far as - 'the tiger.'</p> - - <p>"Mr. Dyer asked what was meant by 'the tiger?'</p> - - <p>"Ward replied that it meant the second door at a gaming-house, - which was a very strong one, which enabled the persons inside to - shut out any one they did not like to admit.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Dyer asked the person who made the charge why it had not - been brought forward before?—He replied that it was so paltry, - that he did not think it worth while to bring it forward.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Dyer said that, whether it was a paltry one or not, it would - have looked much better if it had been brought forward before a - charge had been made by the complainant. He then said that the - defendant must find bail for the assault, and, with respect to - the counter-charge which had been made, he should not interfere - in it, but leave the parties to take their legal remedies."</p> -</div> - -<p>In this year was finished a monument to the memory of George IV., -which was erected at Battle <span class="pagenum"><a id="page203" name="page203"></a>(p. 203)</span> Bridge, now known as King's -Cross. It was a composition statue of the king, about eleven feet -high, and it stood atop of an octagon building of brick and cement, -which was used first as a police station, and afterwards as a public -house, whilst the pediment of the statue was utilized as a "Camera -obscura." It was demolished in 1845, and it is said that the basis of -the statue's nose was a draining tile, and that it was offered to a -gentleman for sixpence!</p> - -<p>We come across a curious superstition. Two men were executed for -burglary, at Horsham, on August 22nd, when the silly custom of passing -the hands of the dead men over the necks of two or three females, as a -supposed cure for the glandular enlargements, was upon this occasion -had recourse to. And the <cite>Times</cite> of April 24, 1837, quoting the -<cite>Gloucester Journal</cite>, has in a paragraph headed "<span class="smcap">Revolting behaviour -of a Hangman</span>," with which I will not horrify my readers, the -following: "Several women were on the platform to have their necks -charmed by rubbing the dead man's hands over their wens as a cure."</p> - -<p>But if we get horrible paragraphs in the papers, we also occasionally -meet with amusing ones, as this from the <cite>Times</cite> of September 22nd—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">March of Intellect.</span></p> - - <p>"We can vouch (says the <cite>Bristol Mirror</cite>) for the authenticity of - the following copy of a letter from her late servant, to - Mrs.——</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page204" name="page204"></a>(p. 204)</span> "'Dear Madam, I cannot enter into the family of the Hon. - ——, without returning you many thanks for your unsteady and - dishonourable character. I am truly sorry that you have been so - unfortunate in your four cooks since I left, and trust the fifth - will be as indifferent; but your cruel and <em>unladylike</em> - insinuations could have no weight where my <em>real</em> character was - so well known.</p> - -<p class="signa">"'From your grateful friend, ——,</p> - -<p>"'P.S.—Farewell—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p>"'May the turf where thy old reliques rest<br /> - Bear herbs, odoriferous herbs, on thy breast:<br /> - Their heads, thyme and sage, and pot marjoram wave,<br /> - And fat be the gander that feeds on thy grave.'"</p> -</div> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Although the disabilities under which the Jews laboured were not -removed by Act of Parliament, public opinion was decidedly in favour -of the freedom of the Israelite. Mr. (afterwards Sir) Francis -Goldsmid, was the first Jew that was ever called to the English bar, -and this took place in 1833. According to the <cite>Times</cite> of November -18th, quoting the <cite>Liverpool Albion</cite>, it was in 1835 that a Jew was a -juror in a law court for the first time.</p> - -<p class="quote">"It may be noted, as a novelty, that Mr. Joseph Hess, - silversmith, of Lord Street, was the first person of the Jewish - persuasion who ever discharged the duties of a juryman in any of - the courts of this country; that gentleman, after having been - sworn on the Pentateuch, forming one of the grand jury panel at - the Kirkdale Quarter Sessions."</p> - -<p>And the first Jewish alderman and sheriff of the City of London, was -Mr. Sheriff (afterwards Sir) David Salamons, who was elected to the -vacant gown of Aldgate Ward, on November 21st.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page205" name="page205"></a>(p. 205)</span> One incident which set all tongues wagging, about this time, -was the great fire at Hatfield House, on November 27th, and the death -of the Marchioness of Salisbury (grandmother of our present premier) -by burning. She had only arrived at Hatfield on the previous day, and -on the afternoon of the 27th she retired, a short time before dinner, -to her dressing-room to write a few letters. At five o'clock her maid -entered her apartment, and found her writing by the light of two -candles. Her ladyship complained of the dimness of the light, and -requested her maid to bring her a bedroom candle, which she did, and -left the marchioness, who wore a very lofty headdress, writing by -these three candles.</p> - -<p>About half-past five fear was felt by the female servants of the -house, in consequence of the volumes of smoke. The marquis and -marchioness were alarmed, and the marquis tried to force his way into -his mother's dressing-room, but found it so full of flame and smoke, -as to render all hopes of rescuing her utterly desperate. The fire -bell was rung, and the engines arrived from the neighbouring towns, -but were of little avail, as there was a bad supply of water. That -part of the west wing which looks down the noble avenue of trees by -which Hatfield Hall is approached from the south, was speedily gutted -by the fire. The roof fell in with a tremendous crash, and the poor -old marchioness was buried in the ruins.</p> - -<p>Another subject for talk was an extraordinary <span class="pagenum"><a id="page206" name="page206"></a>(p. 206)</span> discovery of -valuable jewels, thus told in the <cite>Annual Register</cite>, December 21st.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"In the month of February last, the warehouse of Messrs. Hall & - Co., on the Custom House Quay, was broken into, and a box, in - which there were deposited diamonds belonging to a foreign - countess, and amounting to from £7000 to £8000 in value, stolen - therefrom. From the mode in which the robbery had been effected - at the Custom House, it was the opinion of Lea, the constable, at - the time, that both it and the one at Messrs. Hall & Co.'s had - been accomplished by the same parties who had effected the Custom - House robbery. By the most singular accident, however, a portion - of the diamonds had been discovered in such a manner as to leave - no doubt that they had been in the possession of William Jourdan. - Lea, the officer, made the following statement:—</p> - - <p>"He said that, having satisfied himself by inquiries and - information through various channels that Sullivan and Jourdan - were the persons engaged in the robberies, he, with much - difficulty, traced out their residence in the neighbourhood of - Kennington. He had no sooner done so, than they by some means or - other got information of it, and, before he could secure them, - left their homes, taking with them a portmanteau and trunks each, - with an excellent stock of clothes, and took up their lodgings at - the Red Lion Tavern, in King Street, Bloomsbury, where they - represented themselves as persons engaged in mercantile pursuits. - By this means, he (Lea) lost trace of them for several days, - until a person who had been placed to watch the house at - Kennington, followed and traced the brother of Sullivan to the - Red Lion. Lea lost no time in going to the house, and on making - inquiries of the landlady about the person (describing Sullivan's - brother) who had been there, a short time before, with a green - bag, and the object of his calling; she said he was a shoemaker, - who had called to take some orders from, and do some work for, - two gentlemen who were stopping in the house.</p> - - <p>"Sullivan's brother is a common thief, and had merely assumed the - character to prevent any suspicion in the minds of Mr. Proctor - and his family, and, by this means, he was enabled to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page207" name="page207"></a>(p. 207)</span> - see his brother and Jourdan often, and, when seen by a fourth - party, his manner towards them was precisely that of an artisan. - Lea then proceeded to state that from the description which he - obtained from Mrs. Proctor of the description of the persons who - were at her house, he was satisfied that they were the parties of - whom he was in pursuit, and he consequently made such - arrangements as to succeed in the apprehension of both on the - following morning.</p> - - <p>"At that time (the 2nd inst.), after securing the prisoners, he - made what he conceived to be a minute search of the apartments - which the prisoners occupied, and had secured everything - belonging to them, but he had now discovered that, - notwithstanding all his care, he had overlooked some most - valuable property.</p> - - <p>"After the capture of the prisoners, Jourdan's wife and - Sullivan's brother had repeatedly called at Mr. Proctor's, and, - upon various occasions, expressed the greatest anxiety to go into - the room which had been occupied by Jourdan, but this was - refused, notwithstanding their earnest entreaties. Two or three - persons, of gentlemanly appearance, had, at different times, - driven up to the door in coaches, with luggage, as if they had - come off a journey, and eagerly asked for lodgings; but Mr. - Proctor, owing to what had previously happened, refused to let - any strangers lodge at his house, and the parties were obliged to - go away.</p> - - <p>"On Thursday morning last, Mr. Hanson, a gentleman residing at - Reading, who, when in town, was always in the habit of stopping - at Mr. Proctor's, called there, and his luggage being taken into - the room that had been previously occupied by Jourdan, he ordered - a fire to be lit by the time he came home in the evening. This - was done by a charwoman, who is in the habit of attending the - house, and that being the first time since spring that a fire had - been made in the room, she threw a quantity of what she conceived - to be rubbish which had accumulated during the summer months - under the ornamental paper in the grate, on the top of the coals, - after the fire had been made up.</p> - - <p>"In the course of the night the attention of Mr. Hanson was - attracted to a most brilliant substance in the centre of the - fire, and, on taking it out with the tongs, he, on inspection, - found a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page208" name="page208"></a>(p. 208)</span> brooch of considerable size, set with pearls, - but the greater part of the gold mounting had melted from it. - This circumstance led him to examine the fire more minutely, and - he found two more, one of a larger and one of a smaller size, but - which, as well as the former, had been seriously damaged by the - fire. On communicating the circumstance to Mr. Proctor, the fire - and the ashes underneath were carefully examined, and seven good - sized brilliants, seven emeralds, one of which is of considerable - size and must have been of great value, and four dozen of small - but sparkling brilliants were found.</p> - - <p>"Lea recollected perfectly, upon searching Jourdan's room, - observing the ornamental paper in the fireplace, but not - perceiving it disturbed in any way, it did not occur to him to - examine it minutely, particularly as the prisoners had trunks in - the room. There was no doubt on his mind that the property which - had been placed there by Jourdan was of considerable value, from - the anxiety evinced by his friends to get to the room to secure - it, and it was not at all improbable that there was a portion of - the notes stolen from the Custom House placed there also, and, if - so, they must have been destroyed by the fire."</p> -</div> - -<p>Matters were fairly quiet in Ireland, but there was a murder now and -then. There was, however, sad distress, and this is the tale told in -June. In that month, the poorer inhabitants in many places along the -west coast of Ireland, particularly in County Mayo and the adjacent -islands, suffered severely from a failure of provisions. At a meeting -of a Central Committee for their relief, held at Castlebar, on June -15th, the Rev. Mr. Dwyer stated that the population of Clare Island -amounted to three hundred families, of whom only fifteen, at most, had -provisions to last the harvest. All the rest were, at that moment, in -want, with the exception of twelve or fifteen families who would be -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page209" name="page209"></a>(p. 209)</span> equally destitute in a fortnight. Of nineteen families living -in one village, twelve had begun to be in want in April. In that -village there were six families who, if a shilling could buy a ton of -potatoes, were not able to command it. All the other villages in the -island were said to be still worse off.</p> - -<p>The Rev. Mr. Conolly, from the island of Achill, stated that the crop -there was short from last harvest, owing to the failure of the seed in -spring, and to the north-western gales of the previous August. He had -given relief to seven hundred and fifty families, and he would require -thirty tons more than he had to distribute, in order to afford even -six stone to each family. Many poor creatures came forward to offer -the hides of the goats they had killed, as also geese, hens, -stockings, and even wearing apparel, in lieu of potatoes.</p> - -<p>A respectable inhabitant of Ihnisturk stated the number of families at -about ninety, of which only five were not distressed. Some few might -be able to procure food from their own resources, provided the rents -were not called in, but if they were, the people would starve. Sligo's -agent at Boffin and Stark had given relief to eighty-five families; -fifty families were, to his own knowledge, positively in a state of -starvation, and utterly destitute of means to procure relief; about -one hundred families, besides, were in want; but half that number had -some means, the rest had none.</p> - -<p>The Rev. Mr. Hughes stated, that the distress <span class="pagenum"><a id="page210" name="page210"></a>(p. 210)</span> in his parish -(Burrishoole) was chiefly owing to the failure of the potato crop, -some of which was lost by the perishing of the seed, and some by high -winds in August. Many families were obliged to put themselves on the -short allowance of one meal in the day, so early as last February; he -had already seen many with the signs of starvation in their haggard -countenances, and had heard them cry from hunger. He knew whole -families, each of which had subsisted, frequently, for twenty-four -hours on one quart meal. The population was 11,761, of which number -five thousand were now actually in want; three hundred families had -neither cow, sheep, nor horse, nor any other means to purchase -provisions; two hundred families, at least, had not been able to make -their usual sowing of potatoes for want of seed; and hundreds would -necessarily perish with hunger, unless something was soon done for -their relief.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img211.jpg" width="400" height="462" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<div class="p4 figcenter"> -<img src="images/img212.jpg" width="350" height="485" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<p>The Rev. Mr. Gibbons stated the population of his parish (Kilgevar) at -nine thousand. The crop failed there last year owing to the rotting of -the seed and to harsh winds; two thousand five hundred persons were -now in distress. About one half of these might struggle through -summer, if they sold their few head of cattle to procure provisions, -but the rest had no resource. The wives and children of a great many -of them had already gone to beg. At subsequent meetings of the -committee similar accounts were received from other parts of the -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page211" name="page211"></a>(p. 211)</span> western coasts and its islands. They exhibited the state of -the country as being deplorably wretched, and the sufferings of the -poor as daily and hourly on the increase. Several thousand families -were reported to be without food, except the precarious sustenance -they were enabled to gather in the fields, and among the rocks on the -seashore. Cabbage <span class="pagenum"><a id="page212" name="page212"></a>(p. 212)</span> and shellfish usually furnished their -repast. In some places partial relief was given by the meal which the -Central Board ordered to certain districts; and a resolution passed -at a meeting, by which they <span class="pagenum"><a id="page213" name="page213"></a>(p. 213)</span> requested permission of the -London Distress Committee to procure, with the money remaining at -their disposal, one hundred tons of meal, to give further assistance. -A Mr. Owen, from the Board of Works, attended by order of the Lord -Lieutenant, and informed the meeting that his mission was into Erris, -where £500 was to be expended for the purpose of giving the poor -employment.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img213.jpg" width="500" height="232" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>The costumes, etc., given for this year are a nursemaid and children, -indoor and walking dresses, and different modes of dressing the hair. -(See pp. <a href="#page211" title="Go to page 211">211</a>, <a href="#page212" title="Go to page 212">212</a>.)</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page214" name="page214"></a>(p. 214)</span> CHAPTER XX.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1836.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Curious case of a girl stolen by gipsies — Superstition <i>re</i> light - at Christmas in the North of England — Designs for New Houses of - Parliament — King William III. statue blown up — Admission of - ladies to the House of Commons — Stuart impostors — An - inter-university boat race — How Cambridge came to have light blue - as a colour.</p> - -<p>On January 15th, the Brighton bench heard the following extraordinary -tale:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"A little girl who stated her name to be Charlotte Savage, and - that she was thirteen years of age, was brought up by Mr. - Solomon, who stated that her story was so extraordinary that he - thought it his duty to let her state it to the bench.</p> - - <p>"The child, in reply to the questions of the magistrate, stated - that her father's name was Robert Savage, that he was formerly a - soldier, but, on marrying her mother, turned Custom House - officer, and was now living at Bristol. Just before hay-making - time last year she and her brother Robert went to the theatre at - Bath; and, as they were returning home at night, her brother - being a little on before, she was taken up by some gipsies, who - gagged her, and put her into a cart. She had ever since been - travelling about with them, and knew the names of three, who were - called John, Richard, and William Lee. They got a living by - selling combs, and by stealing geese, turkeys, sheep, and - rabbits, which they killed and skinned, and the skins of the - sheep and rabbits they sold. Whenever they travelled through any - towns they put her at top of a cart, and when they encamped she - was always employed in washing linen or nursing the children; and - she could not escape, there being always a great boy and girl - with her.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page215" name="page215"></a>(p. 215)</span> "About three weeks ago they went through Brighton to - Lewes. There part of the gipsies took lodgings, and those she was - with, having to go into the town, left her in a lodging-house - kept by a Mrs. Tickner. There, to amuse herself, she began - reading the Testament with a little boy, which Mrs. Tickner - observing, said she could not have been brought up to the gipsy - life, or she would not have been able to read. She replied that - she had not, and then told Mrs. Tickner her story. Mrs. Tickner - said she had once had a little boy of her own stolen, and she - knew the distraction the loss of children caused parents to feel; - and that, therefore, the gipsies should give her up, or she would - make them, and she would keep her until she should hear from her - parents. She then got a letter written to them, and received an - answer (stating her mother was on her deathbed, and had been ill - ever since her disappearance), together with five shillings in a - parcel. Mrs. Tickner then hearing that there was a steam packet - that sailed from the chain pier at Brighton, let her come over to - Brighton; she accordingly arrived there, and went to the pier to - inquire about the packet, and was told that there was no steam - packet that went from Brighton to Bristol, but there was a coach - which did. She went to all the coach offices, and there learnt - that the Bristol coach had ceased running for the last fortnight; - and, upon asking for lodgings, was recommended to the Seven - Stars. There she found a person who knew the place near the Bell, - where she was taken up, and another who knew her mother and - uncles. To them she showed the letter, which she had since lost; - and, upon her making her story known, she was brought to the Town - Hall, and put into the prison. At the idea of having been put - into prison the child cried very much.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott asked what had become of the gipsies.</p> - - <p>"The girl replied that she did not know, as they were travelling - about the country.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Solomon said he had taken the girl to the - assistant-overseer, who took down the particulars in writing, but - said he did not believe her story.</p> - - <p>"The girl said if they would take her to Mr. Burton, of the - theatre, he would know her again.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott: How do you know he is here?</p> - - <p>"Girl: I read his name in the play-bill, and he used to write - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page216" name="page216"></a>(p. 216)</span> letters to my mother, when his wife lodged with us. He - was property man at our theatre.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott: Property man! Why how came you to know there was - such a person in a theatre? How came you to know so much about a - theatre?</p> - - <p>"The girl replied that her father and mother at one time lived in - front of Bath theatre. They used to go to the theatre sometimes, - by permission of Mrs. Macready; and she herself had been brought - up to it, when a little girl three years old. They lived in the - drawing-room and had the whole of the house.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott: If we let you go now, you will never get home with - five shillings, and, then, if we did, you are likely to be taken - by some gipsies again.</p> - - <p>"Girl: I should like to be sent to Mr. Burton first, to see if he - would send me home; he knows all my relations, and I know him - well.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Burton having been sent for, said he thought he could - remember her face, but it was two years since he had seen her. He - added he had no doubt of the truth of her story. The girl then - asked him if he would let her have money to take her home, or if - he would keep her until her friends could send for her. This Mr. - Burton said he could not afford to do.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Solomon said the girl told him the gipsies had a young man - with them, chained down to one of their carts.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott: Chained down?</p> - - <p>"The girl assured him that was the fact; and, from what she had - heard from Mrs. Tickner, and the description of him, she had no - doubt it was a son of the Rev. Mr. Jones.</p> - - <p>"Sir D. Scott then ordered that the girl should be taken over to - Lewes, and confronted with Mrs. Tickner; and, if what the girl - stated turned out to be true, directed a letter to be sent to the - parents; the girl, meanwhile, being kept in the workhouse."</p> -</div> - -<p>There was curious superstition in the North of England, which is -practically done away with in these days of lucifer matches. In the -old days of tinder boxes, if any one failed to get a light, it was -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page217" name="page217"></a>(p. 217)</span> of no use his going round to the neighbours to get one, for -even his dearest friends would refuse him, it being considered <em>most -unlucky</em> to allow any light to leave the house between Christmas Eve -and New Year's day, both inclusive. No reason has been found for this -singular and somewhat churlish custom. An example is given in the -<cite>Leeds Times</cite>, quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of January 20th.</p> - -<p class="quote">"Had not the following anecdote been told us on the authority of - a gentleman of high respectability, we should have found some - difficulty in believing that so strange a superstition had still - influence on the minds of the inhabitants of the West Riding. On - the night of Christmas Day our informant was returning to Leeds - in a gig from a town a few miles off, and wished to light a - cigar. He stopped at a cottage by the wayside, and asked to be - allowed a light. 'No,' was the reply, 'thou'lt get no light here - to-night.' Somewhat surprised at this surly reply, he drove on - for a mile or two, and on arriving at a toll bar, again preferred - his request. 'No, sir,' said the gatekeeper, 'I shall let no - light go out of my house to-night.' As there was no mending the - matter, our friend proceeded to another toll-bar, and a third - time requested a light. He was very civilly told he should have a - light with pleasure, had it not been Christmas night; but, on - that night, to allow a light to be taken out of the house would - insure bad luck through the next year. Here, at length, the - mystery was solved. This silly superstition was the cause which - led to the refusals which so astonished the traveller."</p> - -<p>On Thursday, March 24th, there was opened to public inspection at the -National Gallery the designs for the new Houses of Parliament. Of -these one critic wrote—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p>"Of these designs, some are good—indeed, we may say, very - good—many promising, and some so bad that it was ground - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page218" name="page218"></a>(p. 218)</span> of wonder that room should be found for them. They - certainly remind us of Peter Pindar's description of matrimony, - which the caustic satirist describes—</p> - -<p class="poem"><span class="add10em">'Like to Jeremiah's figs,</span><br /> - The good are very good, the bad not fit to give to pigs.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>Of these designs four were chosen as the best, Barry's plans being -most approved; and again on April 28th they were exhibited publicly at -the National Gallery. Eventually Barry's plans were accepted, and to -him we owe our beautiful "Palace of Westminster."</p> - -<p>On April 8th, between midnight and one a.m., the statue of King -William III. on College Green, Dublin, was blown up by gunpowder. The -street for some time previously had been quiet, none but the ordinary -passengers being apparent, when a watchman saw a lighted train burning -upwards towards the figure; he endeavoured to drag it down with his -pole, but did not succeed. A second watchman came up, and told him to -come away, for there was powder in it. This latter man, who warned his -companion, had previously seen an attempt made to blow up the statue, -but it had failed; and, fearing the danger, gave the warning. -Immediately after the watchmen withdrew, a tremendous explosion -occurred, as loud as a piece of artillery. The noise was heard all -over the neighbourhood. Most of the gas-lamps from the College to -Trinity Street were blown out, and the figure, weighty as it was, -being composed of nearly solid lead, and nine or ten feet high, was -thrown <span class="pagenum"><a id="page219" name="page219"></a>(p. 219)</span> several feet in the air, and fell on the southern side -of the base.</p> - -<p>It may be remembered that, in 1835, the Hon. C. Berkeley moved the -admission of ladies to the gallery of the House of Commons. A select -committee was appointed to consider the subject, and their report was -presented and read on May 3rd. As the debate thereon was short, and -somewhat amusing, I give some of the principal speeches <i lang="la">in extenso</i>.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The Hon. C. Berkeley said that he now brought this question, for - the second time, under the consideration of the House, because he - was perfectly convinced that his motion would have been carried - last session, if many friends of the measure had not happened to - have been in the House at the time. (Laughter.) The Committee, - who had agreed to the report which had just been read, had been - fairly chosen, and they had considered how the object could be - attained at the least possible expense; and, for his own part, he - could not see why ladies should not be admitted, when they were - placed in such a situation that they could not interfere in the - debate. (Great laughter.) It had been said that the presence of - ladies during the debates would distract the attention of - honourable members, although he must confess that if the ladies - were in the House it would make no difference in his thoughts. - (Loud and continued laughter.) Perhaps some gentlemen, at least, - who were made of so much more inflammable materials (shouts of - laughter) might be so affected. The ladies were once admitted to - that gallery, and the debates were not prolonged then, though it - was now the fashion to say that the debates would be prolonged if - they were admitted, and that many persons who were not now in the - habit of speaking would be generally getting up to address the - House when the ladies were present; but, on the other hand, he - believed there were many who spoke much more for the papers than - the ears of their audience (great laughter), who would not speak - if the ladies were there to hear them. He would not detain the - House, but would conclude by moving that, 'It is the opinion of - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page220" name="page220"></a>(p. 220)</span> this House that the Resolution of the Select Committee - appointed in 1835 to consider the means of admitting ladies to a - portion of the Strangers' Gallery, together with the plan of Sir - R. Smirke, should be adopted, and that means should be taken to - carry it into effect, with as little delay as possible.'</p> - - <p>"Mr. Potter, amidst the loudest laughter, begged leave to second - the motion. He could not possibly conceive any good reason which - could be assigned against it. The plan had been tried in the old - House, in the Ventilator. (A laugh.) Surely the female sex were - as much interested in the proceedings of that House as the other, - and if any portion of them were disposed to hear the debates, - they ought not to refuse them. It was well known that the ladies - exercised an important influence in the State, and why should it - not be properly exercised? Why should the beneficial influence of - a virtuous and enlightened mother (a laugh) not be exerted over - her son who had a seat in Parliament? And if the wife of any hon. - member wished to hear the debates, why should she not have the - opportunity? They were admitted into the French Chamber at Paris, - and it was well known that the ladies had seats assigned to them. - He had seen them there pay as much attention to the debates as - any one else, and he had never witnessed the slightest appearance - of levity. (Loud laughter.) The ladies were also admitted to hear - the debates of Congress at Washington, and surely we ought not to - act in this exclusive and Oriental manner.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Kearsley said that he did hope that every hon. member, who - was blessed with a bride or daughters, would give his negative to - this idle, this ridiculous proposition. (Loud laughter.)</p> - - <p>"Mr. O'Connell remarked that in the Irish Parliament ladies were - admitted to hear the debates, and he was afraid the detail of the - cause of their being admitted would throw something like a - censure upon the members of the Irish Senate. However, he would - state that at that time hospitalities of a particular kind - prevailed in Ireland, and the consequence of these hospitalities - was that many members came drunk to the House. (Laughter.) The - remedy proposed was that ladies should be admitted. This was - tried, and from that moment not a single person was seen drunk. - He did not say there existed the same reasons for admitting the - ladies into this House (laughter), but at all events <span class="pagenum"><a id="page221" name="page221"></a>(p. 221)</span> he - thought there existed no good reason why they should be excluded.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Villiers said that he was neither blessed with daughters nor - a bride-elect (laughter), but still he thought no sufficient - grounds had been shown to justify this motion. He was, however, - glad to find that every class of persons in the community was - represented in this House. There were the friends of the people, - the friends of the Church, the farmers' friends, and, now, the - friends of the ladies. (Laughter.) He thought, however, the hon. - and gallant member for Cheltenham, by his motion, proposed an - organic change. (Renewed laughter.) But it seemed to him that no - excitement existed outside of the House on the subject; he was - not aware that any petitions had been presented with reference to - it. The hon. and gallant member had said that he did not see any - harm in the measure; but would the matter end here? Might not - hon. Members have some ulterior views? (Loud laughter.) The hon. - and gallant member proposed to admit the ladies into the gallery, - but were there not places under the gallery? Were there not the - lobby and the library, and might not some hon. member push the - measure further and give them admission there, much to the - inconvenience of the House? (Hear, hear.) But even if admitted to - the gallery only, in what way, he begged to inquire, were hon. - members to exercise their privilege? They could not admit as many - ladies as gentlemen—nay, even they could not accommodate as many - ladies as there were Irish members. Was the power of granting - admissions to be vested in the Minister for the Home Department; - and, if so, might not he be charged with undue influence in - admitting ladies of a certain description? (Loud laughter.) Might - not the champion of some old lady charge him with corrupt motives - in excluding her? In short, the more the subject was considered - the more difficult it seemed. (Renewed laughter.) He hoped, if - the hon. and gallant member for Cheltenham would, if he meant to - introduce a bill upon the subject, have it circulated in all the - populous towns of the country, so that during the autumn its - effects might be ascertained. (Great laughter.) At present hon. - members were unacquainted with the complicated details of the - measure; they did not know all the bearings of the proposition, - though it had been brought forward for two sessions running; - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page222" name="page222"></a>(p. 222)</span> and, therefore, he hoped that the hon. and gallant - member would consent to postpone it. (General laughter.)</p> - - <p>"The House divided. For the motion, 139; against, 40."</p> -</div> - -<p>The <cite>Times</cite> of May 9th, quoting the <cite>Glasgow Chronicle</cite>, has a -paragraph headed</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Royal Charley back again</span>.</p> - - <p>"We have received the following account of the departure from - Greenock of Charles Edward Stuart and his brother, John Sobieski - Stuart. They are said to be grandsons of Charles Edward Stuart, - the Pretender. Of course they must be illegitimate, as the - present King of Sardinia is heir to that prince:—</p> - - <p>"'On Friday Charles Edward Stuart and his brother John, grandsons - to the Pretender, embarked on board the <i>Foyle</i> for Londonderry. - The scions of the house of Stuart belong to Italy, and have been - on a tour to the north of Scotland, visiting the places named in - the romantic adventures of their ancestor, the young Ascarvius. - They are good-looking young men, and bear a strong resemblance to - the portraits of "Royal Charley." They speak the Italian, French, - English, Gaelic, and Irish languages, and are always attired in - the Highland costume of the house of Stuart, and accompanied by a - piper of the clan. They have never worn any other dress than the - kilt and its Highland appendages, and their seal is a crown. At - the time they embarked the piper played some of the principal - Jacobite airs, composed as laments at the misfortunes of the - Pretender. A number of Highlanders of the higher and middle - classes went on board to have a peep at the strangers, and - although they to a man were all of the High Tory caste, yet they - looked with veneration on the Stuarts. The visitors and - passengers assembled in the cabin seemed determined to honour the - memory of "Royal Charley" by quaffing bumpers of the best - "Glenlivet." One of the company was deputed to ask permission - (<i>sic</i>) of Charles Edward, who respectfully declined the honour - intended, and said it was not proper under present circumstances. - The brothers expressed their high gratification at the enthusiasm - of the Greenock Celtic Tories, and seemed much affected.'"</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page223" name="page223"></a>(p. 223)</span> This precious pair of charlatans pretended that in 1773 a son -was born of the marriage of Charles Edward with the Princess Louisa of -Stolberg-Gedern; that the birth was kept secret, and the babe -privately conveyed on board an English frigate and consigned to the -care of a naval officer named Allen, who brought him up as his own -son. This mysterious child, it was further said, when grown to -manhood, married an English lady in 1790, and in the following year -the "Chevalier Charles Edward" was born.</p> - -<p>John Wilson Croker in vol. 81 of the <cite>Quarterly Review</cite> (pp. 57-85), -while reviewing <i lang="la">Vestiarum Scoticum</i>, by John Sobieski Stuart, and -<cite>Tales of the Century</cite>, by John Sobieski and Charles Edward Stuart, -ruthlessly demolishes this pedigree, pointing out that if the -Pretender had had an heir, it was his interest to publish and not to -conceal it; that in his will he only recognized one child, his natural -daughter, the Countess of Albany; that his brother, Cardinal York, -considered that he was King of England; and finally proved that these -two adventurers were none other than John and Thomas Allen, the sons -of Admiral Allen.</p> - -<p>"John Sobieski" died in February, 1872, and there is a biographical -notice of him in the <cite>Times</cite> of February 17th, 1872, but more may be -read about these brothers in the <cite>Edinburgh Review</cite> of July, 1861, and -the <cite>St. James's Magazine</cite> of January, 1872.</p> - -<p>The Oxford and Cambridge boat race, as we know <span class="pagenum"><a id="page224" name="page224"></a>(p. 224)</span> it, did not -commence until 1845,<a id="footnotetag19" name="footnotetag19"></a><a href="#footnote19" title="Go to footnote 19"><span class="smaller">[19]</span></a> but there were inter-university struggles -before that date, as we see by the <cite>Times</cite> of June 20th.</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The Cutter match between the Universities of Oxford and - Cambridge.</span></p> - - <p>"The long-expected match between the gentlemen of the - Universities came off on Friday (June 17th). The sum to be rowed - for was £400, or, as others say, £1000. The weather was most - unpropitious, and those who ventured forth on Friday must have - possessed more than ordinary 'game.' Betting had been two and - three to one on the Oxonians, and there were plenty of takers. At - four o'clock the competitors were at their posts, and, the signal - having been given, they were off. The gentlemen of Cambridge took - the lead, but the Oxonians were right on them. Nothing could have - been finer than the exertions displayed by each party, but - Cambridge still maintained the lead, nor did they, throughout, - ever forfeit that advantage. Cambridge won by four lengths, and - did not exhibit any symptoms of distress."</p> -</div> - -<p>The boats were eight-oared as now.</p> - -<p class="quote">"The course was the then Champion Metropolitan Course, from - Westminster to Putney. It was in this race that Cambridge first - adopted light blue as their colour, and that apparently by - accident. They were on the point of pushing off from Searle's - yard at Westminster, when somebody remarked that the boat had no - colour in the bow. One person suggested one colour, and one - another. At the last moment, Mr. R. N. Philips, of Christ's, a - well-known oarsman in those days, ran over to a haberdasher's - close by, and asked for a piece of Eton blue ribbon or silk. This - was produced, and the crew adopted it <i lang="la">con amore</i>. Since those - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page225" name="page225"></a>(p. 225)</span> days Cambridge has worn light blue; while Oxford, for - the sake of contrast, have rather deepened their shade of the - same colour. The jerseys of Cambridge were white, and those of - Oxford blue and white stripes." "Record of the University Boat - Race, 1829-1883," by G. G. T. Treherne and J. H. D. Goldie, p. - 12. London, 1884.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page226" name="page226"></a>(p. 226)</span> CHAPTER XXI.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1836.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Report on the British Museum — The King and the Duchess of Kent; a - scene — Inauguration of George III.'s Statue at Charing - Cross — Poetry at the police court — The trip of the Nassau - balloon.</p> - -<p>The British Museum had hitherto been the home (so to say) of red tape, -so much so, that it seemed as if every possible obstacle was placed in -the way of people enjoying and benefiting by that magnificent -institution. In fact, its management became such a scandal, that on -February 11th Mr. Estcourt moved that a select committee be appointed -to inquire into its condition, management, and affairs, which was -granted.</p> - -<p>In July the committee made their report to the House, and recommended -that the number of official trustees be reduced, those who do not -attend to be requested to resign, and the vacancies, as they occur, to -be filled up by persons distinguished by their eminence in literature, -science, and art. The museum to be opened during the Easter, Whitsun, -and Christmas weeks, and on all public days from ten to seven in the -months of May, June, July, and August; the reading-room to be opened -throughout the year at nine o'clock in the morning. A further -division of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page227" name="page227"></a>(p. 227)</span> departments to be made, the salaries of the -officers to be increased, and pluralities abolished, and an improved -synopsis to be prepared and sold in parts. Casts were to be made from -the statues, bronzes, and coins, and sold to the public at the lowest -possible price. Nothing was said about classed catalogues, nor the -opening of the reading-room in the evening, the claims of both having -been strongly urged. Still great reforms and concessions had been -made.</p> - -<p>The old King was very fond of his niece Victoria, but could not abide -her mother the Duchess of Kent, and Greville tells one story which -does not redound greatly to the King's credit.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The King invited the Duchess of Kent to go to Windsor on the - 12th of August, to celebrate the Queen's birthday (13th) and stay - there over his own birthday, which was to be kept (<em>privately</em>) - on the 21st (the real day, but falling on a Sunday), and - <em>publicly</em> on the day following. She sent word that she wanted to - keep her own birthday at Claremont on the 15th (or whatever the - day is), took no notice of the Queen's birthday, but said she - would go to Windsor on the 20th. This put the King in a fury; he - made, however, no reply, and on the 20th he was in town to - prorogue Parliament, having desired that they would not wait - dinner for him at Windsor. After the prorogation, he went to - Kensington Palace to look about it; when he got there, he found - that the Duchess of Kent had appropriated to her own use a suite - of apartments, seventeen in number, for which she had applied - last year, and which he had refused to let her have. This - increased his ill-humour, already excessive.</p> - - <p>"When he arrived at Windsor, and went into the drawing-room (at - about ten at night), where the whole party was assembled, he went - up to the Princess Victoria, took hold of both her hands, and - expressed his pleasure at seeing her there, and his regret at - not seeing her oftener. He then turned to the Duchess, and - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page228" name="page228"></a>(p. 228)</span> made her a low bow, almost immediately after which he - said that 'a most unwarrantable liberty had been taken with one - of his palaces; that he had just come from Kensington, where he - found apartments had been taken possession of, not only without - his consent, but contrary to his commands, and that he neither - understood nor would endure conduct so disrespectful "to him."' - This was said loudly, publicly, and in a tone of serious - displeasure. It was, however, only the muttering of the storm - which was to break the next day.</p> - - <p>"Adolphus Fitzclarence went into his room on Sunday morning, and - found him in a state of great excitement. It was his birthday, - and, though the celebration was what was called private, there - were a hundred people at dinner, either belonging to the Court, - or from the neighbourhood. The Duchess of Kent sat on one side of - the King, and one of his sisters on the other, the Princess - Victoria opposite. Adolphus Fitzclarence sat two or three from - the Duchess, and heard every word of what passed. After dinner, - by the Queen's desire, 'His Majesty's health, and long life to - him,' was given, and, as soon as it was drunk, he made a very - long speech, in the course of which he poured forth the following - extraordinary and <i lang="fr">foudroyante</i> tirade:—</p> - - <p>"'I trust in God that my life may be spared for nine months - longer, after which period, in the event of my death, no regency - would take place. I should then have the satisfaction of leaving - the Royal authority to the personal exercise of that young lady - (pointing to the Princess), the heiress presumptive of the Crown, - and not in the hands of a person now near me, who is surrounded - by evil advisers, and who is herself incompetent to act with - propriety in the station in which she would be placed. I have no - hesitation in saying that I have been insulted—grossly and - continuously insulted—by that person, but I am determined to - endure no longer a course of behaviour so disrespectful to me. - Amongst many other things, I have particularly to complain of the - manner in which that young lady has been kept away from my Court; - she has been repeatedly kept from my drawing-rooms, at which she - ought always to have been present, but I am fully determined that - this shall not happen again. I would have her know that I am - King, and I am determined to make my authority respected; and, - for the future, I shall insist and command that the Princess - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page229" name="page229"></a>(p. 229)</span> do, upon all occasions, appear at my Court, as it is her - duty to do.' He terminated his speech by an allusion to the - Princess and her future reign in a tone of paternal interest and - affection, which was excellent in its way.</p> - - <p>"This awful philippic (with a great deal more which I forget) was - uttered with a loud voice and excited manner. The Queen looked in - deep distress, the Princess burst into tears, and the whole - company were aghast. The Duchess of Kent said not a word. - Immediately afterwards, they rose and retired, and a terrible - scene ensued: the Duchess announced her immediate departure, and - ordered her carriage, but a sort of reconciliation was patched - up, and she was prevailed upon to stay till the next day. The - following morning, when the King saw Adolphus, he asked him what - people said to his speech. He replied that they thought the - Duchess merited his rebuke, but that it ought not to have been - given there; that he ought to have sent for her into his closet, - and have said all he felt and thought there, but not at table - before a hundred people. He replied that he did not care where he - said it, or before whom, that, 'By God, he had been insulted by - her in a manner that was past all endurance, and he would stand - it no longer.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>On August 3rd the equestrian statue of George III., in Pall Mall, was -inaugurated. It is by Matthew C. Wyatt, and represents the King as he -appeared when reviewing the volunteer troops in Hyde Park, in 1803. It -was originally intended to place this statue at the bottom of Waterloo -Place, where now stands the Guards' Memorial; but it was not -considered proper that the statue of the Duke of York should have his -back turned to the presentment of his father, and the site proposed -was consequently, abandoned. The spot it now occupies was then -selected, and preparations were made to erect the statue on June 4th, -the anniversary of the venerable monarch's birthday. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page230" name="page230"></a>(p. 230)</span> The -preparations were rendered nugatory by the opposition of a business -firm, who considered its erection would be prejudicial to their -premises. All obstacles were overcome, and the statue was placed in -position.</p> - -<p>It was unveiled by the Duke of Cumberland, in the presence of a crowd -of noblemen and gentlemen, amidst much cheering, but when the duke, -who was never popular, left, he was severely hissed by the crowd. The -statue is an excellent likeness of the old King, and, when first -erected, was of a gorgeous golden colour.</p> - -<p>There was an amusing police case at the Mansion House on September -21st, when an old woman was charged with having presented a poetical -begging petition at a bank in Lombard Street. She was very poor, and -the alderman gave her two shillings.</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Alderman Kelly: What can you do besides writing poetry?</p> - - <p>"Defendant: Besides writing poetry! Do you call that nothing? I - can do more. I can teach people to write poetry.</p> - - <p>"Alderman Kelly: Well, whatever you do, you must not annoy people - of business. If you are in necessity, you have a claim upon your - parish, whatever people may say to you, and I advise you to act - accordingly.</p> - - <p>"Defendant:</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - When beggars apply for parochial relief,<br /> - The welcome they meet is, 'You rascally thief,<br /> - Why don't you go work, or beg, borrow, or steal,<br /> - Of those who are able to pay for your meal?<br /> - Only pass by the parish; the devil may care<br /> - If you feed with a bishop, or feed with a bear.'</p> -</div> - - <p>"Alderman Kelly: You had better give me back those two shillings - for some more deserving person.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page231" name="page231"></a>(p. 231)</span> "Defendant: I'd willingly do so, but that I think people - would never forgive me for being such a fool (laughter).</p> - - <p>"Mr. Hobler (chief clerk): I'd have you try the Press, now that - the stamp is reduced. I've known some people paid for worse stuff - at the enormous rate of a penny a line.</p> - - <p>"Defendant: God bless you, Mr. Hobler, you always give me good - advice, as well as something to keep the wolf from the door.</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - Long life to you, my good old clerk,<br /> - <span class="add1em">With your pen stuck in your ear;</span><br /> - May your money increase from day to day,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And your children from year to year."</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>Twice only have balloons from England crossed the Channel—once in -1785, and again in 1836—and, from its rarity, the fact deserves -chronicling. On January 7, 1785, François (or Jean Pierre) Blanchard -and Dr. Jeffries crossed the Channel in a balloon, starting from -Dover, and alighting a few miles from Calais. This feat, in the very -infancy of aerostation, was considered very wonderful, and Blanchard -earned, in France, the title of <cite>Don Quixote de la Manche</cite>. They -started at one p.m. and descended in the Forêt de Felmores at three -p.m. They took with them provisions, cork jackets, philosophical -instruments, letters, and oars, with which they fondly hoped to be -able to steer their aerial craft. Their voyage is thus commemorated in -contemporary song—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - "Their ballast being expended, near to the sea descended,<br /> - And what most them befriended, their cloaths went overboard,<br /> - Great coats and trousers gone, cork jackets they put on,<br /> - And thus again ascended aloft in the air.<br /> - They flew o'er Calais town, people of high renown<br /> - Took horses and rode after; it caused a hearty laughter,<br /> - And soon they found them hamper'd and clinging to a tree."</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page232" name="page232"></a>(p. 232)</span> Louis XVI. gave Blanchard a present of twelve thousand -francs, and a pension of twelve hundred francs per annum.</p> - -<p>On November 7, 1836, the feat was again essayed and was very -successful. Mr. Green, a veteran aeronaut, Mr. Monck Mason, and Mr. -Holland, ascended from Vauxhall at 1.26 p.m. In the car were upwards -of a ton of ballast, several gallons of brandy and wine, and a large -supply of coffee, cold fowls, ham, etc. There were also a supply of -blue lights, stars, and other fireworks, to be let down at night if -the voyage were not accomplished before dark, in order to enable the -aeronauts to reconnoitre the country from their elevation, and choose -the point of their descent, and a number of parachutes, to which -letters were fastened, to be dropped at intervals, for the purpose of -apprising the public of their transit, arrival, and safety. They were, -moreover, furnished with passports from the French and Dutch -embassies, and with a letter to the King of Holland from his -representative in this country. The balloon landed in perfect safety -at a village called Weilburg, in Nassau, at 6.30 next morning, after a -prosperous voyage of seventeen hours, having traversed a space equal -to about 480 English miles.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img233.jpg" width="300" height="449" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<p>Of course they were made a great fuss of. The use of the ducal -<i lang="fr">manège</i> was immediately tendered for the occupation of the balloon, -and military sentries, more as a guard of honour than for defence, -were posted at the gates and avenues leading to the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page233" name="page233"></a>(p. 233)</span> place of -its reception. Balls, dinner parties, and other festivities were -given in its honour, and, last <span class="pagenum"><a id="page234" name="page234"></a>(p. 234)</span> of all, it was named, with -great <i lang="fr">éclat</i>. The balloon was inflated as much as space would allow, -and Mr. Green and eight young ladies entered within it. A daughter of -the Baron de Bibra then named it the "Great Balloon of Nassau," a -large quantity of wine was drank, and the company regaled themselves -with the remains of the plentiful supply of food taken in the balloon -from England. It was afterwards exhibited in Paris.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img234.jpg" width="500" height="220" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>The illustrations of ladies' dress include two walking dresses as well -as an indoors and evening dress. It will be noted that the very -graceful scarf was introduced in this year. (<i>See preceding page.</i>)</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page235" name="page235"></a>(p. 235)</span> CHAPTER XXII.<br /> -<span class="smaller">1837.</span></h2> - -<p class="resume">Epidemic of influenza — A scene in some Metropolitan - graveyards — Lord de Ros and his cheating at cards — Invention of - sewing machine — Coming of age of Princess - Victoria — Illuminations, etc. — The Spitalfield's silk weavers' - ball — Illness of the King — His death and burial.</p> - -<p>This year opens dismally with influenza in a most virulent form. To -give some idea of its ravages, let me quote the <cite>Standard</cite> of January -12th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The epidemic now raging has been seriously injurious both to - public and private business. On Saturday ninety clerks were - absent from the Bank of England, but on Tuesday the absentees - amounted to a hundred and thirty. At the Post Office, Custom - House, and Excise Office, as well as the Government Offices at - Somerset House and Whitehall, and at all the theatres, similar - inconvenience is daily felt, from the illness of the clerks and - others employed. Nor is the evil resulting to business from the - effects of this epidemy confined to public establishments. - Upwards of sixty men have been absent from the brewery of Messrs. - Barclay and Perkins within the last few days; the same number - from Maudslay's the engineers, in the Westminster Bridge Road; - seventeen from the warehouse and shop of Ellis on Ludgate Hill; - twenty from Hitchcock and Rogers'; and as great a number from - Shoolbred's. Indeed, so much has the influenza prevailed in some - quarters, that whole families have been laid up, their business - entirely suspended, and their shops closed; such is the case with - a shop in the Minories, and also with a public house in the - neighbourhood of Grafton Street, Gower Street."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page236" name="page236"></a>(p. 236)</span> On the 16th the same paper tells us of three judges and many -members of the bar incapable of work through this cause—and also -that, within the last fortnight, sixty-four of the pensioners in -Greenwich Hospital had died of the complaint; but the scene on Sunday, -January 22nd, as reported in the <cite>Times</cite> and the <cite>Annual Register</cite>, -seems to have been very bad—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Death had a high day in the metropolis last Sunday; and, - perhaps, in the memory of the oldest inhabitant, such a scene has - not been witnessed. There was scarcely an undertaker unemployed, - and many were unable to accomplish their orders. Hearses and - mourning coaches were to be seen driving through the streets, - hurrying from the execution of one funeral to the commencement of - another. Walking funerals were met at almost every corner of the - public streets, and many who had ordered carriages were unable to - procure them, and were compelled to wade through the dirt and wet - on foot. The churchyards seemed to be all bustle and confusion. - The principal interments took place in the parishes of St. - Pancras, Marylebone, St. Giles's, Clerkenwell, Whitechapel, - Bethnal Green, and St. Margaret's and St. John's Westminster. It - is computed that not less than a thousand burials must have taken - place on Sunday, and when it is considered that the number of - parishes in and around the metropolis is near two hundred, the - calculation does not seem to be an exaggerated one.</p> - - <p>"In the churchyards of St. Pancras and St. Giles the scenes were - truly awful, and even disgusting to the feelings. The burial - ground in the former had more the appearance of a ploughed field; - furrows from the graves were turned up all over the place, and - such was the scene between three and four o'clock, that not less - than between forty and fifty interments took place, the - undertakers scarce knowing which grave to go to. Groups of - mourners, with corpses waiting, in every part, for the clergyman - to take his turn in performing the funeral service; <span class="pagenum"><a id="page237" name="page237"></a>(p. 237)</span> then - the horrid manner of the grave-diggers (navigators, who seemed - hired for the purpose), their awful language, and careless manner - of filling in the graves, jumping and stamping on the - coffins—such a sight, indeed, was enough to appal the hardest - heart. Some of the mourners had actually to wait upwards of an - hour before their relatives could be interred.</p> - - <p>"The epidemic seems not only to have been destructive in its own - natural form, but, at Guy's Hospital, in the wards, where a free - circulation of air existed, it has, in many instances, run into - bronchitis and pneumonia, and has even induced severe symptoms of - typhoid or yellow fever, in all which cases, it is easy to guess - what were the consequences. So very fatal, indeed, has it proved - in this way, that the managers of several hospitals have set - apart wards exclusively for patients with influenza. Dr. Johnson, - at the last meeting of the Westminster Medical Society, stated - that it has been far more violent in its character, and universal - in its extent, than the epidemic of 1833."</p> -</div> - -<p>At the Court of King's Bench Lord Denman and a jury spent the 9th and -10th of February in trying an action for libel brought by Lord de Ros, -the premier Baron of England, against a Mr. Cumming, who had accused -his lordship of cheating at cards. The trial excited the greatest -interest, and was attended by most of the nobility and members of good -clubs.</p> - -<p>It was charged against Lord de Ros that, at the whist table, he -frequently contrived to have a violent fit of coughing when his deal -came round, which obliged him to put his hands under the table; and -then it always happened that he turned up an honour; and that the aces -and kings in the packs Lord de Ros played with were frequently marked, -slightly, but perceptibly, with the thumb-nail. Many <span class="pagenum"><a id="page238" name="page238"></a>(p. 238)</span> -gentlemen swore to their having been cheated by these tricks, and some -refused to play with Lord de Ros; and, though others did not shun him -after his cheating had been discovered, they sent him anonymous notes -of warning, and hoped that he had left off cheating. The play of these -gentlemen was sometimes very high, and one of them, Mr. Brook -Greville, admitted that he had made £35,000 by play; another, Captain -Alexander, said that he was a "better man by £10,000 for card -playing."</p> - -<p>On the part of Lord de Ros, it was stated that he had a stiffness in -his finger-joints, which prevented him from playing tricks with cards, -though he could cut and shuffle them. But Sir William Ingleby swore to -the repeated frauds of the peer. He had seen him fifty times perform -the trick called "<i lang="fr">sauter la coupe</i>;" which, in effect, was to cut the -cards so as always to turn up an ace or a king when he dealt. Several -witnesses proved that the aces and kings of the packs with which Lord -de Ros had played were marked. The persons who gave evidence against -Lord de Ros were, generally, professed gamblers; but no evidence was -adduced to prove that they had any spite against his lordship, or that -any conspiracy had been formed to ruin him. There never was a clearer -case against any delinquent; and the jury took only fifteen minutes to -determine upon their verdict, which was in favour of the defendant. -This was equivalent to the conviction of Lord de Ros of cheating at -cards, and he took the very <span class="pagenum"><a id="page239" name="page239"></a>(p. 239)</span> prudent step of leaving England -that night for Rotterdam.</p> - -<p>People are apt to consider that the sewing machine is an invention of -our own time. But the <cite>Times</cite> of March 8th says otherwise—</p> - -<p class="quote">"A master tailor of Amsterdam, named Weiland, a German by birth, - has invented a machine which performs the task of sewing a - garment as well as it can be done by hand. The King of Holland - has just presented him with one hundred ducats, but the tailors - have vowed vengeance against him."</p> - -<p>The old King felt his health failing him, and his fervent wish was to -live until the Princess Victoria was of age. As Greville writes, May -23rd—</p> - -<p class="quote">"The King prayed that he might live till the Princess Victoria - was of age, and he was very nearly dying just as the event - arrived. He is better, but supposed to be in a very precarious - state. There has been a fresh squabble between Windsor and - Kensington about a proposed allowance to the Princess."</p> - -<p>The King's present to the Princess, on her birthday, was a magnificent -grand pianoforte by Broadwood, of the value of two hundred guineas.</p> - -<p>The coming of age of the Princess, on May 24th, was kept with -festivity throughout the kingdom, but especially at Kensington. At six -a.m. the union jack was hoisted on the summit of the old church, and -also on the green opposite the palace. At this latter place it was -surmounted by a splendid flag of white silk, on which was inscribed, -in sky blue letters, the Princess's name "Victoria." From the houses -of the principal inhabitants of the High Street were <span class="pagenum"><a id="page240" name="page240"></a>(p. 240)</span> also -displayed the royal standard, union jack, and other flags of all -colours and dimensions. Soon after six, the gates of Kensington -Gardens were thrown open to the public, and it having got wind that -her Royal Highness would be serenaded at seven (the hour when she was -born) the place was thronged with a large assemblage of well-dressed -people.</p> - -<p>As early as nine a.m. visitors arrived to enter their names in the -Duchess of Kent's book, and during the whole day, up to a late hour in -the evening, the palace was crowded with company, so much so, that -they were obliged to leave it by another gate. Their Royal Highnesses -received their household at half-past twelve, and the following -members of the royal family at two: the Princess Sophia, the Princess -Sophia Matilda, the Princess Augusta, and the Duke of Sussex. In the -course of the afternoon the Duchess of Kent, the Princess Victoria, -and the Princess of Leinengen drove through the parks in an open -carriage.</p> - -<p>At night a State ball was given at St. James's Palace, the Princess -Augusta receiving the company on the part of the Queen. The ball -opened with a quadrille, the Princess Victoria being led off by Lord -Fitzalan, eldest son of the Earl of Surrey, and grandson of the Duke -of Norfolk. Her Royal Highness subsequently danced with Prince Nicolas -Esterhazy, son of the Austrian ambassador.</p> - -<p>The following is the <cite>Times</cite> account of the celebration of the -birthday in London:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page241" name="page241"></a>(p. 241)</span> "Yesterday being the anniversary upon which the heiress - presumptive to the throne of these realms attained the age of - eighteen, considerable expectation had been raised amongst the - holiday seekers and sightseers of the metropolis that the day - would be celebrated by military displays, reviews, and those - attractions usually put forward on those occasions. Early in the - morning dense crowds were seen wending their way from all parts - of the metropolis, in the direction of Hyde Park, in anticipation - that their 'weary walk' would be remunerated by one of those - displays of military manœuvres which, in times of peace, - delight those who wish to live at ease, and in the reality of - which so many Britons have participated, to the honour, the - glory, and the best interests of the land that gave them birth. - So general was the anticipation that such would commence the - festivities of the day, that crowds of artisans who had proceeded - towards the usual scene of action at an early hour, were followed - towards the same arena by vehicles of every description conveying - their fellow-subjects, who, though more wealthy, were equally - devoted to loyalty and amusement. Great was the disappointment - when hour after hour passed and brought no military relief to the - greensward, and eventually the multitude assembled diverged - homewards, or proceeded in search of other attractions. It is - proper to state that, at the dawn of day, salutes were fired from - the ordnance depôts of the metropolis, and to this only was the - military display confined.</p> - - <p>"In the evening the principal streets of the City and West End - were most brilliantly illuminated, and, the weather being fine, - the crowds of eager spectators who had been disappointed early in - the day rendered the streets impassable. The club houses in Pall - Mall, St. James's Street, and elsewhere, were elegantly and most - appropriately illuminated, with one solitary exception—the - Reform club house in Pall Mall, in front of which was exhibited - the word "Victoria" in variegated lamps. Some wags doubted the - propriety of this display, and, looking at the Parliamentary - events of the preceding night, were sceptical as to the fitness - of the word at such a moment. It was, however, questioned by some - bystanders whether the display was designed as a compliment to - the heiress presumptive, or had reference to the "mighty - triumph" of the pseudo Liberals in the House of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page242" name="page242"></a>(p. 242)</span> Commons - on the recent division.<a id="footnotetag20" name="footnotetag20"></a><a href="#footnote20" title="Go to footnote 20"><span class="smaller">[20]</span></a> Whatever was the intention of the - parties by whose direction the exhibition was made, it is beyond - doubt that the word 'Victoria' was, in that view, as much laughed - at as though an insignificant 'Five' had blazoned forth in all - the arrogance of conquest.</p> - - <p>"Though the illuminations were by no means general, yet the - tradespeople of the Royal Family manifested devoted loyalty and - considerable taste in the displays they made. It would be - invidious to the parties, and uninteresting to our readers, to - describe the numerous devices and their localities. The task must - be indefinite, and it must, therefore, content the curious to - know that the brilliancy of the illumination, the taste - displayed, and the good humour which manifested itself in all - directions, made some considerable amends to the disappointment - of the holiday folk in the morning. Densely as the streets were - thronged (and we never saw them more so), we heard of no accident - having occurred—a fact which was rendered the more remarkable by - the total absence of anything like police arrangements as to the - passage of carriages through the principal and most attractive of - the streets. On the whole, however, the day passed off - wonderfully well, and a late hour of the night saw thousands - home, who were highly delighted with the sights they had seen."</p> -</div> - -<p><cite>Fraser's Magazine</cite> for June had a rather smart sonnet on that -majority of five, called</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">June Sonnet</span>.</p> - -<p>"Good was the omen on th' auspicious night<br /> - <span class="add1em">When kept was fair Victoria's natal day—</span><br /> - <span class="add1em">London in gas, and oil, and tallow gay,</span><br /> - Looked a vast isle of artificial light:<br /> - Anchors and crowns, and roses beaming bright;<br /> - <span class="add1em">Stars, garters, and triangles, shone around:</span><br /> - <span class="add1em">Lions and unicorns all chained and crowned,</span><br /> - And other blazonings—yellow, green, red, white—<br /> - <span class="add1em">Dazzled the air. But, more delighted, we</span><br /> - Welcomed one blazing letter everywhere<br /> - <span class="add1em"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page243" name="page243"></a>(p. 243)</span> Playing a double duty. Hail, great V!</span><br /> - <span class="add1em">V! Ministerial sad majority—</span><br /> - Mark of the unhappy <span class="smcap">Five</span>! with grim despair<br /> - <span class="add1em">Did Melbourne and his men that symbol see.'</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>The next thing of interest was "The Spitalfields Silk Weavers Ball," -held on June 1st, at the King's Theatre. After the Edict of Nantes, -nearly fifty thousand French artisans and manufacturers fled into -England, and the silk weavers located themselves at Spitalfields and -Bethnal Green. At this time their trade was very bad, and there was -much distress among them. This being represented to the King and -Queen, they commanded that a ball should be given at the King's -Theatre for the benefit of the weavers, and at which their Majesties -intended to attend. All the feminine portion of the royal family and -the principal ladies of the nobility were patronesses, and a royal -command was given that no ladies should appear dressed in other than -satin or silk of Spitalfields manufacture, and that those gentlemen -who were not attired in military or naval uniforms should wear fancy -waistcoats of the same fabric.</p> - -<p>The theatre was specially and beautifully decorated for the occasion; -the front of the boxes were hung in festoons of satin and silk (all of -Spitalfields manufacture), the grand tier being purple, with the badge -and insignia of the Order of the Garter; the second tier crimson, with -the badge and insignia of the Order of the Bath; the third tier light -blue, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page244" name="page244"></a>(p. 244)</span> with the badge and insignia of the Order of St. -Patrick; the fourth tier green, with the badge and insignia of the -Order of St. Andrew; and the fifth tier light blue, with the badge and -insignia of the Guelphic Order. Five of the centre boxes were thrown -into one, and a large projecting balcony erected for the reception of -the royal visitors, and two boxes on either side for the accommodation -of members of the household. The pit was boarded over and made even -with the stage.</p> - -<p>Weippert's band of sixty-four performers formed the orchestra. Mr. -Kendon, dancing-master to the Princess Victoria, acted as master of -the ceremonies, and special precautions were taken to prevent the -admission of improper characters. With that view the patrons and -patronesses gave vouchers to those who were anxious to be present, -which were afterwards exchanged by Mr. Willis, of Almack's, for the -regular tickets of admission, of which about 2300 were sold. Not a -seat was empty, and the ball was a decided success.</p> - -<p>Neither the King nor the Queen were able to attend, for the poor old -man was moribund. A slight decline of strength had been perceptible to -the immediate attendants of the King at the commencement of the year, -but it was not till the month of May that the state of his Majesty's -health excited any serious apprehensions. On the 17th of that month he -held a levee, but, on his return to Windsor Castle, he showed great -signs of debility and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page245" name="page245"></a>(p. 245)</span> exhaustion, with oppression of -breathing, in consequence of which he had considerable difficulty in -ascending the staircase; and when he had reached the corridor was -under the necessity of resting on the nearest sofa. He tried to keep -up as well as he could, but on June 7th his physicians found him much -worse. On June 8th his illness was noticed in the "Court Circular," -with a notice that the state entertainment intended to have been given -at the castle to the knights of the several orders was indefinitely -postponed; indeed, on that day, in obedience to the Queen's wishes, -the party staying at the castle dispersed.</p> - -<p>Day after day he grew worse, with just a little flutter of improvement -when the Waterloo memorial flag was presented to him, when he -expressed himself as glad to see it, and begged the Duke of Wellington -to be told that he desired the Waterloo banquet to be held as usual, -and hoped it would be an agreeable dinner. He gradually sunk until -June 20th, when the following bulletin was issued:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="date">"Windsor Castle, Tuesday, June 20.</p> - - <p>"It has pleased Almighty God to release from his sufferings our - most gracious sovereign, King William the Fourth. His Majesty - expired this morning at twelve minutes past two o'clock.</p> - -<p class="signa"> - "<span class="smcap">Matt. John Tierney.</span><br /> - "<span class="smcap">Wm. Fred Chambers.</span><br /> - "<span class="smcap">David Davies.</span>"</p> -</div> - -<p>Death came to him so gently, that some doubt existed as to the -precise moment at which he actually <span class="pagenum"><a id="page246" name="page246"></a>(p. 246)</span> did expire. The stroke of -death was almost imperceptible.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img246.jpg" width="350" height="475" alt="" title="Fashion." /> -</div> - -<p>He lay in state on July 7th in the Waterloo Chamber at Windsor -Castle, and the public were <span class="pagenum"><a id="page247" name="page247"></a>(p. 247)</span> admitted to see him from ten till -four. The next day—or rather on the night of the 8th—he was buried, -with all the pomp and the solemnity usual on such occasions, in a -vault in St. George's Chapel.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img247.jpg" width="500" height="209" alt="" title="Hairs." /> -</div> - -<p>The dresses for 1837 are two walking-dresses and a ball dress, and -also a child's costume, with different fashions of hairdressing.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page248" name="page248"></a>(p. 248)</span> CHAPTER XXIII.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Men's dress — Education — School advertisements — The original of - Squeers — Girls' schools — Tea as a meal — Food — A foreigner's - sketch of an English dinner-party — A high-class dinner — An ideal - dinner.</p> - -<p>Men's dress was very much as in our time, the trousers were somewhat -tighter, the coat collars higher, the waistcoats were worn more open, -and there was somewhat more than a <i lang="fr">soupçon</i> of stays. Hair was worn -long and artificially curled, and no one but a cavalry man, or a -blackleg, wore a moustache. The neckcloths or "stocks," as they were -called, must have been veritable instruments of torture, being lined -with slips of whalebone, and coming tight under the chin; a rivulet or -rather river of satin flowed over the shirt, and was fastened by two -pins connected by a chain. But, if any one wants the man's costume of -William the Fourth's reign he will find it in the very familiar -engravings by "Phiz," to <cite>Pickwick</cite> and <cite>Nicholas Nickleby</cite>. Elderly -gentlemen still wore knee breeches and silk stockings, with gaiters -for outdoor wear, and among them the pigtail was still to be found; -nay, I recollect two old gentlemen who wore them, as I also remember -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page249" name="page249"></a>(p. 249)</span> some middle-aged men wearing the very handsome Hessian boot.</p> - -<p>The Spanish cloak came in about 1834, and in the following -advertisement we see its size and price, together with the prices of -other clothes. <cite>Times</cite>, November 19, 1834—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Spanish cloak of superfine blue cloth, a complete circle of - 9-1/2 yards, £4 4<i>s.</i>; Opera ditto, £2 2<i>s.</i>; boy's ditto, £1 - 1<i>s</i>; camlet ditto, 11<i>s.</i>; boy's ditto, 12<i>s.</i> Fashionable - Petersham great coat, bound, £2 2<i>s.</i>; Saxon frock coat, faced - silk, £2 10<i>s.</i>; an elegant suit of superfine cloth, complete, £4 - 4<i>s.</i>; the very best that is made, £4 15<i>s.</i>; suit of livery, £3 - 3<i>s.</i> Contract prices:—Two suits per year, £6 6<i>s.</i>; extra fine - quality, the very best, £7 7<i>s.</i>; three suits, £10 17<i>s.</i>; ditto, - £12 5<i>s.</i>; four suits, £14 6<i>s.</i>; ditto, £15 18<i>s.</i>; the old to - be returned. Stout cloth winter trousers, 13<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>"</p> - -<p>Respecting education in England at this time, Count Edouard de -Melfort, who wrote his <cite>Impressions of England</cite> in 1836, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Even in the lowest classes in England it is difficult to find a - person who does not know how to read or write. There is scarcely - any village, however insignificant, which has not its 'National - School;' and, without meaning any offence to other countries, I - think I may assert that the education of the people in England is - superior to that of any other."</p> - -<p>In this opinion, I think, the Count is too optimistic, for the lower -classes were woefully uneducated, my early experience being that -comparatively few could read and write, especially in the rural -districts. The upper class, of course, received an education to -prepare for the Universities; and, in the middle-class, a classical -education was decidedly predominant over <span class="pagenum"><a id="page250" name="page250"></a>(p. 250)</span> one that would fit -its recipient for mercantile pursuits. The ordinary boarding-schools -charged from thirty to forty-five guineas per annum, but their -proprietors had a knack of including extras, which very greatly -increased this sum. Here is an advertisement of a middle-class school -in 1830—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Exeter College, Snaresbrook, six miles from London, for the - reception of gentlemen designed for mercantile pursuits, the - legal and medical professions, the naval and military - institutions, and the Universities. The number is limited, they - are parlour boarders, and each has a separate bed. The - establishment is under the immediate attention of the Principal - and resident classical assistants, with the regular attendance of - professional gentlemen of eminence in the departments of French, - drawing, music, dancing, &c. Terms per annum—A mercantile - course, with mathematics, history, geography, use of the globes, - astronomy, etc., twenty-five guineas; or with the classics, in - Latin, Greek, and including drawing, music, and dancing, thirty - guineas; any one of the languages or accomplishments selected - with the first course, four guineas. Every department of this - establishment is arranged and conducted on the most comprehensive - scale of liberality. The pupils are the sons of private and - professional gentlemen of the highest respectability in London - and various parts of the kingdom," etc.</p> - -<p>This was a comparatively cheap school. Let us take another, to which -well-to-do people would be likely to send their children. It was -situated near Newbury, and was conducted on the plan of a regular -grammar school—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Young Gentlemen are received from 4 to 20 years of age. - Terms—from 4 to 10 years of age, 25 guineas; 10 to 15, 35 - guineas; 15 to 20, 40 guineas; parlour-boarders, 80 guineas per - annum."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page251" name="page251"></a>(p. 251)</span> But there were lower class schools—such as Dickens has -immortalized in Nicholas Nickleby. He says in his preface to the 1839 -edition that he meant no one in particular, but we may, perhaps, think -differently after reading what I have to write. We all remember the -story when Snawley brings his sons-in-law to the Saracen's Head—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"'Mr. Squeers, I believe, sir?'</p> - - <p>"'The same, sir,' said Mr. Squeers, with an assumption of extreme - surprise.</p> - - <p>"'The gentleman,' said the stranger, 'that advertised in the - <cite>Times</cite> newspaper?'</p> - - <p>"<cite>'Morning Post</cite>, <cite>Chronicle</cite>, <cite>Herald</cite>, and <cite>Advertiser</cite>, - regarding the academy called Dotheboys Hall, at the delightful - village of Dotheboys near Greta Bridge, in Yorkshire,' added Mr. - Squeers. 'You come on business, sir, I see by my young - friends....'</p> - - <p>"'Hem!' said the other; 'twenty pounds per annum, I believe, Mr. - Squeers?'</p> - - <p>"'Guineas,' rejoined the schoolmaster, with a persuasive smile.</p> - - <p>"'Pounds for two I think, Mr. Squeers,' said Mr. Snawley, - solemnly.</p> - - <p>"'I don't think it could be done, sir,' replied Mr. Squeers, as - if he had never considered the proposition before. 'Let me see: - four times five is twenty, double that, and deduct the —— Well, - a pound either way shall not stand betwixt us. You must recommend - me to your connection, sir, and make it up that way....'</p> - - <p>"'And this,' resumed Snawley, 'has made me anxious to put them to - some school a good distance off, where there are no - holidays—none of those ill-judged comings home twice a-year that - unsettles children's minds so—and where they may rough it a - little; you comprehend?'"</p> -</div> - -<p>That Dickens saw the following advertisements there is no doubt, for -they were inserted every half-year throughout the reign, in the -<cite>Times</cite>—</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page252" name="page252"></a>(p. 252)</span> <cite>Times</cite>, July 15, 1830—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">Education.</span> By Mr. <span class="smcap">Shaw</span>, at <span class="smcap">Bowes Academy</span>, Greta Bridge, - Yorkshire.—<span class="smcap">Youths</span> are carefully <span class="smcap">INSTRUCTED</span> in the English, - Latin, and Greek languages, common and decimal arithmetic, - book-keeping, mensuration, surveying, geometry, geography, and - navigation, with the most useful branches of the mathematics, and - provided with board, clothes, and every necessary, at 20 guineas - per annum each. No extra charges. No vacations. Further - particulars may be known on application to.... Mr. Shaw attends - at the George and Blue Boar, Holborn, from 12 to 2 daily, where a - card of particulars may be seen."</p> - -<p><cite>Times</cite>, September 18, 1830—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At <span class="smcap">Kirby Hill Academy</span>, near Richmond, Yorkshire, conducted by I. - Nelson and assistants. The system of instruction comprehends all - the usual branches of a liberal education, comprising the Greek - and Latin Classics, mathematics, etc., at 22 guineas per annum. - No extra charges. No vacation. French language and drawing on the - usual terms. I. N. will attend daily at the Saracen's Head, Snow - Hill, etc."</p> - -<p>In these two advertisements we have, in the first, Greta Bridge and -Squeers's prospectus; in the other, his London place of abode, the -Saracen's Head, Snow Hill. Bowes is about five miles from Castle -Barnard.</p> - -<p>Mr. Jonathan Bourchier sends a communication to <cite>Notes and Queries</cite> -(4th S. xii. 324) enclosing extracts from a letter from an old friend -who writes from Bowes—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"It is a very fine country—fresh mountain air. <i>Dotheboys Hall</i> - is still here, no longer a school. Mr. Shaw, the original of - Squeers, married a Miss Laidman, who was a sort of cousin of my - father. The school buildings are pulled down, but the house - (Dotheboys) is still a very nice handsome one, with large - offices, cowhouses, etc. We learn from our landlady that in the - room <span class="pagenum"><a id="page253" name="page253"></a>(p. 253)</span> where we are now sitting (Unicorn Inn, Bowes) - Dickens had lunch the day he and a friend rode over from Barnard - Castle to see and make sketches of Mr. Shaw's school, and this - same old lady, Mrs. Highmoor, waited on them. Dickens was only - here that day, but he stayed longer in Barnard Castle, and got a - great deal of gossip, not too true, about the school from one - ——, a quondam usher of Shaw's and 'a bad lot,' who had, indeed, - been turned off for bad conduct.</p> - - <p>"Mrs. Highmoor tells me, as indeed my father always says, that - Dotheboys Hall is a most exaggerated caricature. But somehow the - description was in some respects so correct that everybody - recognized it. Poor Shaw quite took it to heart, and did no more - good, got childish and paralytic, and soon died. The school went - down fast. Mrs. Shaw also died broken-hearted. But a good deal of - money was left behind. Mrs. Highmoor says there were an immense - number of boys; that Mr. Shaw chartered a special coach to bring - them from London (this place is on one of the great coaching - roads between York and Glasgow); and that there was great joy in - the village on the arrival of the coach and its precious - freight—quite <em>the event</em> it was. She says the boys were used - very well, and fed as well as could be expected for £20 a-year; - that there might be things wrong, but no complaints were ever - made; that Shaw made money, because on his own farm he grazed the - cows and fed the sheep and pigs which supplied the boys' food.</p> - - <p>"My impression is that Yorkshire schools were bad, but not so bad - as Dickens makes out, and Shaw's was better than most of them. - There is a strong feeling here of indignation against Dickens, - who no doubt ruined poor Shaw."</p> - - <p>"An old pupil of Mr. Squires—the Mr. Squeers of Dickens's - 'Nicholas Nickleby'—has died at New Brunswick, leaving behind a - record of his schooldays. This is to be published as a sort of - post-mortem vindication of Mr. Squires, whose career as a - pedagogue was rather unfairly caricatured by the novelist. The - old pupil is the Rev. Ralph Willis, a native of London. He went - to school at Bowes, in Yorkshire, and it was through his father - that Dickens heard of the school. Many of the scenes in the book - he describes as inventions; but the moral of the reminiscences is - that Squires was not as black as he was painted" (<cite>Globe</cite>, June - 5, 1895).</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page254" name="page254"></a>(p. 254)</span> A girl at boarding-school cost about the same as a boy, but -day schools seem to have been very cheap, judging by one in Salisbury -Square, Fleet Street, where the governesses say, in their -advertisement, that</p> - -<p class="quote">"Their system of education is the result of close observation, - blended with long experience; and it embraces all the advantages - of a superior private instruction, with those which will ever be - found to exist in a well-conducted school. Terms, including - reading, geography, history, grammar, and useful and ornamental - needlework, one guinea per quarter. The Misses Thompson are - assisted in the departments of penmanship and arithmetic, the - French, Italian, and Latin languages, music, drawing, and dancing - by professors of eminence, on the usual terms."</p> - -<p>But I fancy the following advertisement appealed to a far richer -<i lang="fr">clientèle</i>:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"At a first-rate <span class="smcap">Finishing Ladies' Seminary</span>, <span class="smcap">Vacancies</span> occur for - a few <span class="smcap">Pupils</span>. The system of education adopted is of the highest - order, embracing superior and peculiar advantages. In addition to - an extensive course of English studies, invaluable to young - ladies finishing their education, they will be perfected in the - French and Italian languages, music, comprising the harp, - pianoforte, and singing, with a knowledge of harmony and thorough - bass, drawing, dancing, and every research in science and - literature to qualify them to move in the first circles."</p> - -<p>We may note that the guitar, which was then very fashionable, is not -mentioned, and we never find the German or Spanish languages taught. -The dancing comprehended galop, mazurka, waltz, quadrilles, and a -variety of fancy dances, such as the shawl dance, etc., which were -never used out of dancing academies. The poor little dears had no -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page255" name="page255"></a>(p. 255)</span> other physical exercises, no swimming, nor Swedish -gymnastics, and their punishments consisted in being put in the -stocks, which made them turn out their toes, and in the back-board, -which tended to expand the chest and cure round shoulders. Their -principal relaxation was, as now, a solemn walk in procession.</p> - -<p>Afternoon tea, as we know it, was unknown; but, as people dined much -earlier than now, it was a fairly substantial meal of hot buttered -toast, muffins, Sally Lunns, and other tea cakes. It was essentially a -chatty cosy meal, the same that Cowper sang of—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - "Now stir the fire and close the shutters fast,<br /> - Let fall the curtains, wheel the sofa round."</p> -</div> - -<p>Either the copper tea-kettle sang on the hob or on a trivet on the -bars, or the tea-urn hissed on the table; whilst on the polished brass -three-legged trivet, standing on the hearth, were the muffins, -crumpets, toast, or what not, keeping nice and hot. In many -middle-class houses a toasting-fork hung with a hearth broom by the -side of the mantelpiece, and it was thought no harm for the younger -portion of the family to "make the toast" by the dining-room fire. The -tea drank was exclusively of Chinese growth, that of India and Ceylon -never having been dreamed of, and the prices (retail) ranged from -3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> to 7<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> per lb. A paragraph in the <cite>Times</cite>, July -15, 1836, gives us an idea of the amount consumed.</p> - -<p class="quote">"Yesterday the East India Company" (who at this time had the - monopoly of the tea trade) "issued their declaration for the - sale of teas in September next. The declaration amounts to - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page256" name="page256"></a>(p. 256)</span> 4,000,000 lbs., and comprises 500,000 lbs. of bohea, - 2,770,000 lbs. of congou, souchong, and pekoe, 600,000 lbs. of - twankay, and 130,000 lbs. of hyson. In the present declaration - there are 100,000 lbs. less of bohea than in the June sale, - 100,000 less of twankay, an increase of 170,000 lbs. of congou, - souchong, &c., and 30,000 more of hyson. The whole amount of - bohea teas entered under the Treasury minute for payment of the - duty of 1<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> per pound until the 1st of August next is - above 12,000,000 lbs."</p> - -<p>With regard to the food, it was plain and wholesome, but was supplied -with such prodigality that the table literally "groaned" under its -weight, and I may safely say that at a dinner-party there was at least -six times more food provided than the guests could eat. It was their -way of showing hospitality. There was some truth in the description by -the old French <i lang="fr">émigré</i>, who found England uninhabitable, because -"there were twenty-four religions and only one sauce, no ripe fruit -but roasted apples, and that each man ruined his health in drinking to -the health of others." But as it is good sometimes to "see oursen' as -ithers see us," let us hear what Count Melfort has to say on the -English middle-class dinner in this reign. After giving a most -humorous description of the <i lang="fr">mauvais quatre d'heure</i> before dinner, he -says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"At last, hurried steps are heard, and the door opening briskly, - Mr. Jackson (the host) in person appears, who excuses himself for - his delay on account of some business, which, he says, kept him; - he shakes your hands, both at once, in each of his, and tells you - dinner is served; and then you offer your arm to Mrs. Jackson, I - take that of the timid eldest daughter, and we descend <span class="pagenum"><a id="page257" name="page257"></a>(p. 257)</span> - to the ground floor, to the dining-room, which, like the two - drawing-rooms, is everywhere the same, in form, size, and - situation. You can hardly fail to observe all the brilliant - plate, not only on the table but also on the sideboard, where - trays of every size, goblets, covers, plates, and other objects - of the same metal are ranged against the wall; this display puts - one in mind of a silversmith's shop.</p> - - <p>"The table is out of all proportion long; each end is occupied, - the one by Mr. Jackson, who undertakes to serve the fish and to - carve the large joints (such as an immense turbot, and then an - enormous piece of roast beef); the other end by <i lang="fr">madame</i>, who, - having placed you on her right, and me on her left, begins to - serve the soup; she will afterwards ask you to carve the - everlasting boiled fowls, <i lang="fr">à la sauce blanche</i>. As for the French - <i lang="fr">ragouts</i>, which are ranged lengthwise down the table in covered - dishes, be careful and avoid them; I recommend it as a friend. - You have accepted soup, and I see that you are astonished to find - little <i lang="fr">côtelettes</i>, bones, forced meat balls, etc., swimming - about; the cayenne pepper and other hot spices cause you to make - a grimace, whilst they burn your throat; never mind! eat some - turbot, you will find it excellent.</p> - - <p>"You must now bravely 'screw your courage to the sticking place;' - you are nailed to that chair for the space of two hours and a - half at least, without any chance of conversation, except only a - few interrupted words, each person speaking occasionally in a low - tone to his or her neighbour. The burly Mr. Crack, to whom Mrs. - Jackson introduced us, has, as yet, only opened his mouth for the - purpose of endeavouring to satisfy his extraordinary appetite; - this, however, appears to be labour in vain; he is placed in the - middle of the table, and fills the place of two persons, whilst - he eats enough for four. As to that <i lang="fr">soi-disant élégant</i>—that - little personage placed next to Miss Maria, who cannot turn his - head because of his stiff black stock which keeps it in - prison—you will guess by his ridiculous affectation and - exaggerated politeness to his neighbours to what sphere he - belongs; particularly when, during the dessert, on her asking him - the favour to give her an orange, he will take it up between two - spoons, one in each hand, his elbows raised and his fingers - extended. The only speech which you will have heard him utter - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page258" name="page258"></a>(p. 258)</span> was when good Mr. Jackson cried out, after emptying his - glass, 'After all, the climate of England is the best in the - world!' and he rejoined, 'It is unquestionably true!' Thus pass - two hours! However, at last the cloth is removed, and we continue - round the well-rubbed or polished mahogany table. At this point - of the entertainment Mr. Jackson makes us a bow, pronouncing at - the same time a few indistinct words; we all return his bow. - This, after dinner, is a regular custom—a sort of <i lang="la">agimus tibi - gratias</i>, which is thus said in abridgment.</p> - - <p>"The table is now covered with crystal, fruit, and flowers, and - wine decanters; these are first arranged in battle array before - the host; and, at his signal, made by pushing the first round, - they begin their promenade of the table, one gentleman sliding - them along to the next; the ladies take a little, taste the - fruit, and, having occupied some moments in putting on their - white gloves, rise, following the example of Mrs. Jackson; we all - do the same, but only to conduct them to the door of the room. - Here, however, the force of habit makes you forget the - recommendation I had given you—you try to escape; but a hand - retains you by the tail of your coat; it is that of Mr. Jackson, - who observes to you that you have still a bottle of claret to - finish with him. Mr. Crack, too, had made a polite effort to rise - on the departure of the ladies, but his own weight reseated him; - he has now got to the raisins and preserved fruits, etc.</p> - - <p>"After another mortal hour a servant enters, and announces that - the tea and coffee are taken upstairs; we ascend. Mrs. Jackson - advances to us immediately, she asks if we play or sing, and - tells us how amiable we should be to do so—this is a request - rarely addressed to an Englishman, one is too sure of a reply in - the negative. Mrs. Jackson appears very much astonished that - neither you nor I can satisfy her in this respect; and, after - many protestations in order to convince her, she makes a sign to - Miss Dorothy, the great musician of the family, who opens the - piano, places her two feet on both the pedals, and begins a - confused din, under which the instrument itself seems to suffer. - When she has finished you will be much embarrassed to tell me - whether it was an adagio, a waltz, or a quadrille which she has - favoured us with. But, never mind; like great Mr. Crack, who is - seated in his armchair, digesting his dinner, you cry out, - 'Delightful!' This is all that is required.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page259" name="page259"></a>(p. 259)</span> "At length midnight is nearly arrived, and ceremony and - restraint, the <i lang="fr">nous ne savons que faire</i>, still reigns at Mrs. - Jackson's; having wished them good-night, let us go!"</p> -</div> - -<p>In No. XVI. of the <cite>Original</cite>, September 2, 1835, in an article on the -"Art of Dining," there are the following criticisms on contemporary -dining, which show that some of the sore points were known then:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"It appears to me that nothing can be better contrived to defeat - its legitimate end than a large dinner-party in the London - season—sixteen, for instance. The names of the guests are - generally so announced that it is difficult to hear them; and, in - the earlier part of the year, the assembling takes place in such - obscurity that it is impossible to see. There is often a tedious - and stupefying interval of waiting, caused perhaps by some - affected fashionable, some important politician, or some - gorgeously decked matron, or, it may be, by some culinary - accident. At last comes the formal business of descending into - the dining-room, where the blaze of light produces by degrees - sundry recognitions; but many a slight acquaintance is prevented - from being renewed by the chilling mode of assembling. In the - long days the light is more favourable, but the waiting is - generally more tedious, and half the guests are perhaps leaving - the Park when they ought to be sitting down to dinner.</p> - - <p>"At table intercourse is prevented as much as possible by a huge - centre piece of plate and flowers, which cuts off the one half of - the company from the other, and some very awkward mistakes have - taken place in consequence, from guests having made personal - observations upon those who were actually opposite to them. It - seems strange that people should be invited to be hidden from one - another. Besides the centre piece, there are usually massive - branches to assist in interrupting communication; and perhaps you - are placed between two persons with whom you are not acquainted, - and have no community of interest to become so.</p> - - <p>"When the company is arranged, then comes the perpetual motion of - the attendants, the perpetual declining of what you do not want, - and the perpetual waiting for what you do, or a silent <span class="pagenum"><a id="page260" name="page260"></a>(p. 260)</span> - resignation to your fate. To desire a potato, and to see the dish - handed to your next neighbour, and taking its course in a - direction from you round an immense table, with occasional - retrograde movements and digressions, is one of the - unsatisfactory occurrences which frequently take place; but, - perhaps, the most distressing incident in a grand dinner is to be - asked to take champagne, and, after much delay, to see the butler - extract the bottle from a cooler, and hold it nearly parallel to - the horizon, in order to calculate how much he is to put into the - first glass to leave any for the second. To relieve him and - yourself from the chilling difficulty, the only alternative is to - change your mind and prefer sherry, which, under the - circumstances, has rather an awkward effect. These and an - infinity of minor evils are constantly experienced amidst the - greatest displays, and they have, from sad experience, made me - come to the conclusion that a combination of state and - calculation is the horror of horrors. Some good bread and cheese - and a jug of ale, comfortably set before me and heartily given, - are heaven and earth in comparison.</p> - - <p>"I must not omit to mention, amongst other obstacles to - sociability, the present excessive breadth of fashionable tables, - for the purpose of holding, first, the cumbrous ornaments and - lights before spoken of; secondly, in some cases the dessert, at - the same time with the side dishes; and, lastly, each person's - cover, with its appurtenances; so that to speak across the table, - and through the intervening objects, is so inconvenient as to be - nearly impracticable. To crown all, is the ignorance of what you - have to eat, and the impossibility of duly regulating your - appetite. To be sure, in many particulars, you may form a - tolerably accurate guess, as that, at one season, there will be - partridges in the third course, and at another pigeons, in dull - routine.</p> - - <p>"No wonder that such a system produces many a dreary pause, in - spite of every effort to the contrary, and that one is obliged, - in self-defence, to crumble bread, sip wine, look at the - paintings, if there are any, or, if there are not, blazon the - arms on the plates; or, lastly, retreat into one's self in - despair, as I have often and often done. When dinner is over, - there is no peace till each dish in the dessert has made its - circuit, after which the wine moves languidly round two or three - times, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page261" name="page261"></a>(p. 261)</span> then settles for the rest of the evening, and - coffee and small talk finish the heartless affair."</p> -</div> - -<p>The writer, previously (in No. XV.), gives his views of an ideal -dinner, which he seems to think perfection—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"I will give you, dear reader, an account of a dinner I have - ordered this very day, at Lovegrove's at Blackwall, where, if you - have never dined, so much the worse for you. This account will - serve as an illustration of my doctrines on dinner-giving better - than a long abstract discourse.</p> - - <p>"The party will consist of seven men besides myself, and every - guest is asked for some reason—upon which good fellowship mainly - depends, for people brought together unconnectedly had, in my - opinion, better be kept separate. Eight I hold to be the golden - number, never to be exceeded without weakening the efficiency of - concentration. The dinner is to consist of turtle, followed by no - other fish but whitebait, which is to be followed by no other - meat but grouse, which are to be succeeded by apple fritters and - jelly; pastry on such occasions being quite out of place. With - the turtle, of course, there will be punch, with the whitebait - champagne, and with the grouse claret; the two former I have - ordered to be particularly well iced, and they will all be placed - in succession upon the table, so that we can help ourselves as we - please. I shall permit no other wines, unless, perchance, a - bottle or two of port, if particularly wanted, as I hold a - variety of wines a great mistake. With respect to the adjuncts, I - shall take care that there is cayenne, with lemons cut in halves, - within reach of every one for the turtle, and that brown bread - and butter in abundance is set upon the table for the whitebait. - The dinner will be followed by ices and a good dessert, after - which coffee and one glass of liqueur each and no more."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page262" name="page262"></a>(p. 262)</span> CHAPTER XXIV.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Clubs — Theatres — Other amusements — a foreigner's idea of - London — London streets and noises — "Buy a broom?" girls.</p> - -<p>How did the people amuse themselves? For men of the upper class there -were clubs, which were nothing like so numerous as now. First of all -comes White's, the <i lang="fr">doyen</i> of all existing clubs—founded as a -Chocolate House in 1698; then, in the next century, the still -surviving clubs were Boodle's, Brooks', and Arthur's; while those of -the present century are the Guards (1813), United Service, Travellers, -Union, United University, Athenæum, Oriental, Junior United Service, -Wyndham, and Oxford and Cambridge. In William the Fourth's reign the -following came into existence: the Carlton and Garrick, 1831; the City -of London, 1832; Reform, 1835; and the Army and Navy, 1837. These, it -will be seen, are purely class clubs; the social clubs were generally -held at some respectable tavern, and their names are as unknown now as -their numbers.</p> - -<p>There were fifteen theatres in London: (1) The King's Theatre or -Italian Opera, (2) Drury Lane, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page263" name="page263"></a>(p. 263)</span> (3) Covent Garden, (4) -Haymarket, (5) English Opera or Lyceum Theatre, (6) Adelphi, (7) -Olympic, (8) Astley's, (9) Surrey, (10) The Coburg (named after Prince -Leopold) in Waterloo Road, now the Victoria, (11) Sadler's Wells, (12) -City of London (defunct), in Shoreditch, (13) Queen's Theatre, -Tottenham Street, Tottenham Court Road (now tenantless), (14) -Pavilion, in Whitechapel, and (15) the Garrick, in Leman Street, -Whitechapel, no longer used as a theatre. This latter was, on January -20, 1831, prosecuted at the Middlesex Sessions for being unlicensed. -"<i>Francis Wyman</i>, <i>Benjamin Conquest</i>, and <i>Charles John Freer</i>, were -indicted for having, on the 1st of December, and on divers days since, -kept a house for dancing, music, and other like performances, called -the Garrick Subscription Theatre, and situate within twenty miles of -London, not having a licence obtained at the Michaelmas Quarter -Sessions of the Peace for that County." The offence was proved, but -the chairman ruled that the performance of music or dancing, as -incidental to a play, or in an interval between the acts, did not -constitute the keeping of a place for "performing music, dancing, and -such like performances," within the meaning of the Act. The evidence -showed this place was conducted as a theatre, and, as such, the -parties were liable to be proceeded against under other Acts of -Parliament, but he could not say they ought to be convicted under -this. <em>Not guilty.</em> This little theatre was particularly recommended -as <span class="pagenum"><a id="page264" name="page264"></a>(p. 264)</span> closing by eleven o'clock—the performances at the others -lasting till twelve or after.</p> - -<p>The following notices as to the prices and commencement of -performances of those which survive will be interesting for comparison -with their present arrangements:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>No. 1 was the only theatre with stalls, which, together with the - boxes, were mostly rented for the season. Pit, 8<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> - Commence at 8.</p> - - <p>No. 2. Commence at 7. Boxes, 7<i>s.</i>; pit, 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>; lower - gallery, 2<i>s.</i>; upper gallery, 1<i>s.</i> Half-price at 9.</p> - - <p>No. 3. Same as Drury Lane.</p> - - <p>No. 4. Commence at 7. Boxes, 5<i>s.</i>; pit, 3<i>s.</i>; lower gallery, - 2<i>s.</i>; upper gallery, 1<i>s.</i> Half-price, none; but, as an - equivalent, the performances were seldom over before 1.</p> - - <p>No. 5. No account of prices. Not always open.</p> - - <p>No. 6. Commence, 6.45. Boxes, 4<i>s.</i>; pit, 2<i>s.</i>; gallery, 1<i>s.</i> - Half-price, 8.30.</p> - -<table summary="Prices"> -<tr> -<td>No. 7.</td> -<td class="center">Commence, 7.</td> -<td class="center">Prices same as Adelphi.</td> -<td class="center">Half-price, 8.30.</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>No. 8.</td> -<td class="center">Commence, 6.30.</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>No. 9.</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>No. 11.</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>No. 14.</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -<td class="center">"</td> -</tr> -</table> -</div> - -<p>Vauxhall was open for singing and for dancing, for those who could -never hope for entrance into Almacks; and, for those who liked Tom and -Jerryism, there were many places which were open all night. But, -during the day, for serious people and families there were many -attractions. One of them, the bazaar, is practically dead. There were -the Soho Bazaar, and the Queen's Bazaar, in Oxford Street, opposite -the Pantheon, in which was exhibited the "Royal Clarence Vase," which -was made of cut <span class="pagenum"><a id="page265" name="page265"></a>(p. 265)</span> coloured glass, in 2400 pieces, so joined as -to be water-tight. It weighed eight tons, its height, including the -pedestal, was fourteen feet, and the inner diameter of the bowl was -twelve feet. The Pantheon, now the offices of Messrs. W. & A. Gilbey, -was opened in May, 1834. It was one of the largest bazaars, with -counters for 250 standings for the sale of fancy articles, millinery, -jewellery, etc., and there were many rooms devoted to the reception of -paintings and statuary. There was the King Street Bazaar, Baker -Street, and something like the bazaars were the Western Exchange, -between Burlington Arcade and Old Bond Street, and the Burlington and -Lowther Arcades.</p> - -<p>The Thames Tunnel, though far from complete, was open to the public on -payment of a shilling, which sum would also admit to the Exhibition of -the Royal Academy at Somerset House. Where the Empire Music Hall, in -Leicester Square, now stands, was Miss Linwood's Exhibition of -Needlework-pictures, mostly copies from old masters, done in coloured -wools. There were the Malediction of Cain, David with his sling, -Reynolds's Laughing and Sleeping Girls, Jephtha's Vow, etc., etc.—and -very beautiful they were. Entrance, two shillings. In Leicester -Square, too, was Burford's Panorama, in which, in April, 1832, were -exhibited panoramas of Bombay and Florence. In May, same year, at the -Queen's Bazaar, was the Physiorama and the Diorama, with eighteen -views altogether, among which were Bristol <span class="pagenum"><a id="page266" name="page266"></a>(p. 266)</span> on fire, Melrose -Abbey by moonlight, Joshua commanding the sun to stand still, and the -Coronation in Westminster Abbey. At the Colosseum in Regent's Park, -finished in 1827 and demolished in 1874, was the famous Panorama of -London, which covered nearly an acre of canvas, painted, under the -superintendence of Mr. Parris, from sketches made by Mr. Horner in -1821, from St. Paul's, at the time when repairs were going on above -the dome of the cathedral. The visitor was raised to the level of the -panorama by means of a lift, which in those days was considered a -wonder. To see this cost one shilling, whilst for another you might -see the Conservatories, Marine Cavern, Swiss Cottage, Waterfall, -Alpine scenery, etc. This year, too, there was another panorama at -Burford's, a view of Milan, and, during the reign, there were several -others, as well as changes at the Diorama.</p> - -<p>At the lower end of St. Martin's Lane was the pavilion of the gigantic -whale, which was found dead, floating off the coast of Belgium, on -November 3, 1827. The skeleton, which was exhibited, was ninety-five -feet long, and eighteen broad, and the prices to view were a shilling -each person, and "for those who sit in the belly of the whale two -shillings." In Bond Street the curious might visit the "Papyro -Museum," which was a collection of many groups of miniature figures -moulded in paper, and habited and coloured to the life. They were -modelled by two ladies, sisters, and took four years to execute. It -was not <span class="pagenum"><a id="page267" name="page267"></a>(p. 267)</span> successful, and its fate is described in the -following quaint advertisement. <cite>Times</cite>, September 15, 1832—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">The Papyro Museum</span>,</p> - - <p>or 'Casting Pearls before Swine,' recently illustrated at 28, Old - Bond Street, and here demonstrated as follows, viz:—</p> - -<table summary="Exhibition costs."> -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td colspan="2" class="center">£</td> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><i>s.</i></td> -<td colspan="2" class="center"><i>d.</i></td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td>Dr. to 12 weeks rent of exhibition room</td> -<td class="td_right">25</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">4</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right">0</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> -<tr> -<td><span class="lspacing1em"> "</span>Carpenters' and drapers' bills</td> -<td class="td_right">11</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">3</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">1</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td><span class="lspacing1em"> "</span>Three printers' bills</td> -<td class="td_right">11</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">2</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">0</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td><span class="lspacing1em"> "</span>Advertisements in daily and weekly papers</td> -<td class="td_right">27</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">4</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">6</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td><span class="lspacing1em"> "</span>Salaries of receiver, check-taker, and placard men</td> -<td class="td_right">25</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">19</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">0</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td><span class="lspacing1em"> "</span>Sundries, including carriage, insurance, postage, - magnifying-glasses, stationery, &c.</td> -<td class="td_right">8</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">5</td> -<td> </td> -<td class="td-right">4</td> -<td> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td colspan="6" class="bor_bot_yes"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td> </td> -<td class="td_right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">108</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">17</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">11</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td>Cr. by admissions £71 11<i>s.</i>; catalogues sold £7 1<i>s.</i></td> -<td class="td_right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">78</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">12</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes">0</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes bor_bot_yes"> </td> -</tr> - -<tr> -<td class="td_right">Loss on exhibition</td> -<td class="td_right bor_top_yes">£30</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes">5</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes"> </td> -<td class="td-right bor_top_yes">11</td> -<td class=" bor_top_yes"> </td> -</tr> -</table> - - <p>"Reflect on this, ye directors of public taste and opinion, opera - goers, <i lang="fr">déjeuné</i> doers, and ostentatious patrons of virtu. The - exhibition of a single little mediocre picture, with a big name, - 'The Chapeau de Paille,'<a id="footnotetag21" name="footnotetag21"></a><a href="#footnote21" title="Go to footnote 21"><span class="smaller">[21]</span></a> cleared, by your indiscriminate, - gregarious appreciation, about twelve hundred guineas! The Tam - O'Shanter Stone Works, between three and four thousand! While - eighty groups of the most unique and exquisite gems of art in - Europe, the achievements of English artists, and wholly devoted - to British charity, realizes, by three months exhibition, a loss - of £30 5<i>s.</i> 11<i>d.</i>! to say nothing of considerable personal - expenses, and the sacrifice of immense mental and physical - exertion. If this be not disgusting, if it be not an eternal - disgrace, if it fail to rouse deep indignation, and to justify - the bitterest contempt, then what can, or ought? Would anomalies - so odious have happened in Dublin or Edinburgh? In Paris, - Brussels, or Amsterdam? <span class="pagenum"><a id="page268" name="page268"></a>(p. 268)</span> In Berlin, Vienna, Moscow, or - St. Petersburgh? In Rome, Naples, Madrid, or even Lisbon? Would - such barbarous and heartless apathy to genius and humanity be - evinced in Algiers, America, Hayti, or, in short, by any people - on earth, but the 'most thinking,' absurd seeking, flea-hunting - dilettanti of the British Metropolis? So much for Royal and - aristocratic patronage; so much for the schoolmaster at home; his - boasted 'march of intellect,' 'penny' intelligence, discernment, - patriotism, and benevolence, forsooth!"</p> -</div> - -<p>In May, 1834, was exhibited at the Baker Street Bazaar, a "Padorama," -or a continuous view of the railroad and the adjacent country through -which the line of road passes between Manchester and Liverpool. And -the same month and year was opened a "Cosmorama" in Regent Street, -with views of the Hippodrome at Constantinople, the town of Grenoble, -the interior of the Cathedral of St. Gudule at Brussels, the Lake of -Thun, and the adjacent Alps, Isola Bella on the Lago Maggiore, the -Cascade in the Park of St. Cloud, the Monuments at Philœ, on the -Nile, and the Convent of St. Bernard. These two exhibitions seem to -have been ephemeral, but the panorama in Leicester Square, and the -diorama in Regent's Park, still held their own.</p> - -<p>Another ephemeral exhibition took place in this year, which is -described in the <cite>Times</cite>, June 9—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Exhibition of Ancient Costume.</span></p> - - <p>"The exhibition of ancient female costume worn at the courts of - Oliver Cromwell and Charles II., which last year was exhibited at - Regent Street, has this season been opened at the Somerset - Gallery, No. 151, Strand. The dresses which compose this very - curious and entertaining collection, were the property of Mrs. - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page269" name="page269"></a>(p. 269)</span> Luson, who was well known for her eccentricity and - peculiar habits of life. Mrs. Luson died about fourteen years - ago, at the almost antediluvian age of 116 years. The dresses now - being exhibited, with many others which are in the possession of - the proprietor of the exhibition, and also many ancient watches, - bracelets, and female ornaments of various descriptions, came - into the possession of Mrs. Luson, in consequence of her marriage - with Mr. Luson, to whom they descended from Mrs. Bendysh, the - daughter of Lady Fleetwood, and, consequently, the granddaughter - of the Protector Cromwell. We believe they may be considered as - genuine articles, and, as the proprietor affirms them to be, the - identical garments worn by the Cromwell family on the occasions - of Court festivals."</p> -</div> - -<p>In Tichborne Street was "Weeks' Mechanical Exhibition," where, among -other things, was shown an automaton tarantula spider, made of steel, -which ran backward and forward, stretched and drew out its legs, and -moved its horns and claws. There was also an "animated white mouse, -formed chiefly of oriental pearls. This little animal runs about the -table, and feeds at pleasure, and looks so tempting that the most -daintily fed tabby might consider it a <i lang="fr">bonne bouche</i>. A -<em>caterpillar</em>, the colours of which are represented in enamelled gold -and brilliants, is an admirably minute copy of animated nature; it is -seen feeding on the foliage of a golden tree. Nor must we forget the -figure of an <em>old woman</em>, who at a call comes forth from her cottage, -walks leisurely about, supported by the occasional use of her -crutches, while the joints in her arms and legs are all in apparently -natural motion!" Madame Tussaud's exhibition of waxwork was not open -all the year <span class="pagenum"><a id="page270" name="page270"></a>(p. 270)</span> round; up to 1834 the show was in Gray's Inn, -and afterwards at the Lowther Rooms, King William Street, Charing -Cross. Another minor exhibition was the "Microcosm" in Regent Street, -near Piccadilly, where, "by means of the solar microscope, one -wine-glassful of river water is shown to contain reptiles of all -descriptions, from the <em>newt</em> to the <em>lizard</em>!"</p> - -<p>The Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park were opened to the public in -1828, and William IV. considerably augmented the collection of the -larger beasts, by presenting the Society with the menagerie which used -to be maintained at the Tower. And there were also the Surrey -Zoological Gardens, in Manor Place, Walworth, which were first opened -to the public in August, 1831. Here was a small menagerie compared -with that of the Zoological Society, the property of Mr. Cross, who -removed here from Exeter Change, and the gardens were more for popular -entertainment. There was a large lake, and, although the place was -opened on a somewhat scientific basis, it soon came to be only for -amusements, such as concerts, fireworks, etc. It was sold soon after -1862, and is now all built over.</p> - -<p>The London of that day was not beautiful, dull rows of houses utterly -devoid of any ornament met the eye everywhere. Architecture was -practically unknown, and the only improvement that had been made for -many years was the building of Regent Street. It was reserved for the -Victorian era to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page271" name="page271"></a>(p. 271)</span> redeem the apathy of the past. Hear what a -foreigner, Baron d'Haussez, writing in 1833, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"In the more recently built parts of London there is nothing - imposing but the breadth and handsome proportions of its streets; - and in the City nothing but its immense population and the - impress of life which commerce imparts to it. With the exception - of the churches, whose style, whether Greek or Gothic, is - tolerably pure, few buildings fix the attention of a stranger; - but a great number may surprise him by the profusion or the - singularity of their ornaments, or by the beauty of their site. - To this cause, and to the irregularity in the line of buildings, - is chiefly owing the effect produced by the houses in Pall Mall, - Waterloo Place, Regent Street, and Regent's Park. So much pains - have been taken to reproduce the ancient style of architecture, - that one might fancy one's self in an ancient Greek or Roman - City; there is not a house which has not a monumental character. - The slightest examination reveals the numerous imperfections, the - glaring faults of imitation without taste, without reason, and at - variance with the commonest rules of art."</p> - -<p>The Baron is equally outspoken as to some of the social aspects of the -metropolis—</p> - -<p class="quote">"One is often tempted to ask, not if there is a police in London - (its agents in a blue uniform, with numbered collars, scattered - everywhere, night and day, would render that question - superfluous), but what the police does, so little attention is - paid to its details—so great its seeming negligence, in order - not to appear over meddling: certain it is, however, that the - interference of the police is not visible in the cleanliness of - the streets, nor in the indication of their names (for the names - are wanting at the end of most streets), nor in the passing to - and fro of carriages, which are drawn up <i lang="fr">pêle mêle</i> at the - entrance of all public places, according to the irresponsible - caprice of their drivers. It often happens, in consequence of - this confusion, that vehicles of all sorts become locked - together; this gives rise to a reciprocation of abuse and blows; - nor is the interference of the police here <span class="pagenum"><a id="page272" name="page272"></a>(p. 272)</span> apparent as - regards animals, which, in being driven on market days from one - end of the town to the other, occasion frequent obstructions and - often serious accidents. A certain class of women, too, in spite - of English modesty, exercise their shameless calling in a most - brazen manner, unchecked by the police; neither do they abate - those nuisances of stalls, dangerous to the health and safety of - the public; nor bestow the attention on an infinity of objects - which, in other countries, claim and deserve the attention of the - Municipal Administration. In England, trifles like these are - disregarded, and interference is limited to matters of more - importance. On the other hand, there are few capitals where - robberies are more infrequent, where robbers are so soon - discovered and punished, or where popular movements (brought - about generally, it is true, by a populace without courage, and - unaccustomed to the use of firearms) are sooner suppressed; where - there are fewer disastrous occurrences, fewer collisions between - the different classes of society; or where all these results are - obtained with so little constraint, vexation, and noise."</p> - -<p>But it was a very noisy city, this London. The watchmen, not -altogether done away with, would croak out his "Past twelve o'clock, -and a frosty morning;" the milkwoman made the early morning hideous -with her shrieks, as also did the chimneysweep and the newsman, who -brought your morning paper; the peripatetic vendor of fish, or cats' -meat, cried out, the dustman rang a bell and yelled, whilst all sorts -of street hawkers helped to swell the din. Muffin men not only cried -out but rang a bell, as did also the postman; but then his bell was -legalized and useful, as, on hearing it, people could rush to the door -and give him the letters needing posting instead of going to a -post-office, which might be some distance off, and there were no -pillar-boxes in those days. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page273" name="page273"></a>(p. 273)</span> Then, too, the postmen wore the -King's scarlet. The streets were noisy, the roads being paved with -squared stones, asphalte never having been dreamt of, and -wood-pavement being only just mentioned by the <cite>Mechanic's Magazine</cite>, -quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of October 27, 1835—</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img273.jpg" width="250" height="444" alt="" title="Postman." /> -</div> - -<p class="quote">"We observe from the New York papers, that a trial is about to be - made in that city of the plain paving with wood followed in St. - Petersburg, and repeatedly recommended by us for adoption in the - more retired parts of our own metropolis. A part of the Broadway - has been selected for the purpose. 'Each of the small blocks of - wood is of hexagonal shape; the whole are fitted together and - driven up tightly, by a long strip of timber near the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page274" name="page274"></a>(p. 274)</span> - gutter at the side; and the interstices between the blocks to be - well covered with tar or pitch.'"</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img274.jpg" width="250" height="425" alt="" title="Buy a broom girl." /> -</div> - -<p>One of the features of the streets at that time was the "buy a broom -girl," so called from her cry. Her costume was picturesque, and she -was rather an ornament to the extremely prosaic street.</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - "From Deutschland I come, with my light wares all laden,<br /> - <span class="add1em">To dear, happy England, in summer's gay bloom;</span><br /> - Then listen, fair ladies, and young pretty maidens,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And buy of a wand'ring Bavarian, a broom.</span><br /> - <span class="add10em">Buy a broom? <span class="add1em">Buy a broom?"</span></span></p> -</div> - -<p>Their lives were not always happy, as we may see in the <cite>Times</cite> of -October 5, 1830—</p> - -<p class="quote"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page275" name="page275"></a>(p. 275)</span> "One of the Dutch girls, who obtain a livelihood by - selling brooms, applied to the magistrates at Lambeth Street for - a summons against the man who brought her over to this country - for withholding her wages. It appeared, from her statement, that - it was the practice for the dealers in brooms to bring over a - number of girls, at miserable wages, which are contracted to be - paid when the girl returns to Germany. Many, therefore, have an - opportunity of defrauding the girls of their miserable pittance; - and in this case, from the girl's statement, appeared likely to - add to their number. She had contracted for 1<i>s.</i> 8<i>d.</i> a week to - sell brooms about the country. On this pittance she was to board, - clothe, and lodge herself, which she had only been able to do by - the bounty and charity of the gentry in the country. Her master - had run into her debt to the amount of £2, and was preparing to - quit England. The magistrates ordered that the summons should be - immediately granted."</p> - -<p>Hone, who has rescued for us so many unconsidered trifles, tells us in -his <cite>Every-day Book</cite> (vol. i. 809) that—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"These girls are Flemings. They come to England from the - Netherlands, in the spring, and they take their departure with - the summer. They have only one shrill twittering note, 'Buy a - broom?' sometimes varying it into the singular plural, 'Buy a - brooms?' It is a domestic cry: two or three go together, and - utter it in company with each other; not in concert, nor to a - neighbourhood, and scarcely louder than will attract the notice - of an inmate at a parlour window or an open street door, or a - lady or two passing in the street. The hair is tightened up in - front and at the sides, and so secured or skewered at the top of - the head, as if it were constricted by a tourniquet; the little - close cap, not larger than an infant's, seems to be put on and - tied down by strings fastened beneath the chin, merely as a - concealment of the machinery.</p> - - <p>"Without a single inflexion of the body—and, for anything that - appears to the contrary, it may be incased in tin—from the - waist, the form abruptly and boldly bows out like a large - beehive, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page276" name="page276"></a>(p. 276)</span> or an arch of carpentry, built downward from - above the hips, for the purpose of opening and distending the - enormous petticoat into numerous plaits and folds, and therefore - allowing the legs to walk without incumbrance. Their pictures are - exactly miniatured in an unpainted penny doll of turnery ware, - made all round, before and behind, and sold in the toy shops for - the amusement of infancy. These Flemish girls are of low stature, - with features as formal and old-fashioned as their dress. Their - gait and manner answer to both. They carry their brooms, not - under the left arm, but upon it, as they would children, upright - between the arm and the side, with the heads in front of the - shoulder. One, and one only, of the brooms is invariably held in - the right hand, and this is elevated with the sharp cry of 'Buy a - Broom?' to any one likely to become a purchaser, till it is - either purchased or declined.</p> - - <p>"The 'brooms' are one entire piece of wood; the sweeping part - being slivered from the handle, and the shavings neatly turned - over, and bound into the form of a besom. They are bought to dust - curtains and hangings with; but good housewives have another use - for them; one of them, dipped in fair water, sprinkles the dried - clothes in the laundry, for the process of ironing, infinitely - better than the hand; it distributes the water more equally and - more quickly."</p> -</div> - -<p>Other foreigners were there in the streets, Italian boys, who had -white mice, and played the hurdy-gurdy, and Italian men, who ground -upright pianos, and sometimes had a companion monkey; but the German -brass band was, happily for our forefathers, unknown.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page277" name="page277"></a>(p. 277)</span> CHAPTER XXV.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Holborn Viaduct — Omnibuses — Cabs — Hansom's patent — Posting — Mail - coaches — Stage coaches — Hotels.</p> - -<p>On all hands, it is admitted that the streets of London were generally -well paved, and there were but two bad hills, Holborn and Snow Hills, -which were caused by the Valley of the Fleet. This has been bridged -over in our time, but a similar viaduct was proposed in 1833. This was -intended to take down the houses from the corner of Bartlett's -Buildings, Holborn, to Seacoal Lane, Skinner Street, or, on the -opposite side, from Hatton Garden to the top of Snow Hill, and erect a -level terrace on brick arches between these points, the houses to be -taken down and set back about fifty feet, or in a line with St. -Andrew's Church, and the arches under the terrace to be fitted up as -shops on Holborn Hill, with a handsome balustrade on the top. An -ornamental arch was to be turned over Farringdon Street, on the -principle of Highgate Archway. This is, virtually, what was begun -about thirty years later, in 1867.</p> - -<p>As the population of London in 1831 (taking the area as now) was only -about a million and a half, it <span class="pagenum"><a id="page278" name="page278"></a>(p. 278)</span> stands to reason that there -would be but about a quarter of the traffic. The first omnibus started -from the Yorkshire Stingo, Paddington, to the Bank, on July 4, 1829, -and, becoming popular, these vehicles were very soon multiplied, and, -in 1831, there seem to have been ninety running; for, at a meeting of -omnibus proprietors on September 10th of that year, it was proposed, -in consequence of the danger which arose from competitive racing, to -stop thirty-three of them, and, as the chairman observed, "this -diminution would leave fifty-seven of them to run, so that the public -would have a regular conveyance every three minutes from Paddington to -the Bank, from eight in the morning till ten at night."</p> - -<p>As a specimen of omnibus amenities about this time I may mention a -police case at Marylebone, on August 14, 1830. It was for an assault, -but that was of very little moment; it related more to the convenience -and safety of the public, especially the female portion; for it came -out that by some of the cads (as the conductors were then called) it -was considered fair play to take a lady forcibly from the steps of an -omnibus she was inclined to enter and push her into another, and that -the previous week, two ladies had been so mauled by four strong -fellows, that they would not ride at all.</p> - -<p>The royal assent was given on September 22, 1831, to "An Act to amend -the laws relating to Hackney Carriages," etc., by which it was enacted -that, up to January 5, 1833, they should be limited <span class="pagenum"><a id="page279" name="page279"></a>(p. 279)</span> to -twelve hundred, and, after that date, there was to be no limitation to -their number, except that caused by the law of demand and supply. The -hackney coach was a cumbrous vehicle with two horses, and, in 1823, -one-horsed vehicles were introduced, called cabriolets, speedily -shortened into cabs. They began modestly with twelve, and in 1831 had -increased to one hundred and sixty-five. They were somewhat peculiar, -as the driver sat by the side of his fare, although not with him, and -the possibility of the coachman seeing the amount he was to be given, -and the chance of his upsetting his passenger in case it did not meet -his expectations, is humorously described in Pickwick.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img279.jpg" width="500" height="319" alt="" title="Cabs." /> -</div> - -<p>On December 23, 1834, Joseph Aloysius Hansom, an architect, took out a -patent, No. 6733, for "a vehicle for conveying loads, etc.," and from -that time to this his name has been inseparably connected in England -with cabs. Not that his cab was like the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page280" name="page280"></a>(p. 280)</span> present "hansom," -which is a product of much evolution. There was no back seat for the -driver, and its "safety" consisted in its cranked axle. He sold his -rights to a company for £10,000, but never got a penny piece of it. -The only money he ever got out of it was £300, which, when the company -had got into a muddle, was paid him to take temporary management and -put things straight again.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img280.jpg" width="500" height="369" alt="" title="Cabs." /> -</div> - -<p>Thanks to Mr. John Macadam, whose system of using broken stones is -still adopted, the country roads were very much improved. He, unlike -Hansom, received £10,000 from Parliament, and was appointed -Surveyor-General of the Metropolitan roads in 1827. He died in 1836.</p> - -<p>In describing travelling in England during this reign, I cannot do -better than quote from Baron <span class="pagenum"><a id="page281" name="page281"></a>(p. 281)</span> d'Haussez, because a foreigner -looks upon things with a far more critical eye than a native, who is -always used to them. Says he—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The taste for travelling, an expensive taste in any country, is - truly a ruinous one in England. If the means of satisfying it are - numerous, and accompanied by all that can promote pleasure, one - is steeled against this seductive consolation by the perpetual - warning of a speedily drained purse.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img281.jpg" width="500" height="217" alt="" title="Cabs." /> -</div> - - <p>"Posting, placed on a totally different footing from that service - in the rest of Europe, is not the object of an exclusive - privilege. By means of a licence, which cannot be refused, relays - of post-horses are established according to the caprice or will - of those who possess them. The rivalry arising from this practice - does not lower the price of posting, which, London excepted, is - nearly the same on all roads, and differs but little from the - price of relays in France. The number of horses is always fixed - at two or four, without regard to the number of travellers, or to - the form or weight of the carriages. When you desire a - post-chaise, the innkeeper is obliged to furnish it, without your - paying an additional price. These chaises, in the shape of our - <i lang="fr">coupés</i>, are well hung, and very clean and commodious.</p> - - <p>"England has not, as we find in France, a breed of horses - specially appropriated to posting. The greater part of the - post-horses in England are hunters or carriage-horses, which, - having become unfit for either of these purposes, wear out the - remnant of their strength in post-chaises, before they are - transferred to <span class="pagenum"><a id="page282" name="page282"></a>(p. 282)</span> hackney coaches and waggons. Their speed - answers in a great degree to what one would expect from their - breed. You travel at the rate of eight or nine miles an hour - (about three and a half leagues), which includes the time of - changing horses.</p> - - <p>"The height of the postillions (always chosen among the smallest - men), and their dress, consisting of a jacket, short breeches, - and half boots, are calculated with a view to reduce to the - smallest possible compass the burden of the horses. There is no - difference between the town harness and that which is kept for - posting. They are both in excellent condition.</p> - - <p>"The mail coaches destined for the transport of letters are - carriages with four inside and six outside places. Behind the - coach the guard is seated, with a blunderbuss and a pair of - pistols before him. These coaches travel at the rate of ten - miles, or four leagues an hour; but their small size (for the - English, in general tall and thick, appear to have little regard - to their personal proportions in the size of their carriages), - and the short time they stop to refresh, render them very - unpleasant modes of conveyance.</p> - - <p>"Stage coaches are very elegant carriages, built to carry fifteen - or eighteen travellers, and a considerable weight in packets, but - on admirable roads. This is an indispensable condition. Without - it, the height of the carriages, the arrangement of the whole of - the luggage on the imperial, and the lightness of the body and - the axletree, would give rise to frequent accidents.</p> - - <p>"The inside of the coach contains only four places. The seat of - the coachman, and another seat placed immediately behind it, - admit of six persons, and two seats facing each other, at the - hind wheels, afford places for six or eight more. These seats are - fixed over boots or boxes for stowing away the luggage. Such - parcels as these cannot contain are placed on the imperial.</p> - - <p>"The desire to breathe the fresh air, rather than economical - considerations, induce even the richest English to give a - preference to outside places. They only go inside when compelled - by bad weather. The place most in request—one knows not - wherefore—is to the left of the coachman; it is considered as - the place of honour, and is reserved for fashionables, and even - for lords, who do not disdain to travel thus. The sole - advantages, which such a station appeared to me to present, were - the being placed near a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page283" name="page283"></a>(p. 283)</span> well-dressed coachman, and the - escaping the chance of travelling by the side of a butcher, a - shoemaker, or some other individual of that class. Each time the - coachman descends from his box, his neighbour has the advantage - of being made the forced depositary of his reins and whip. These - are placed in your hands, as they are taken out of them again, - without the least ceremony.</p> - - <p>"The appointments of an English coach are no less elegant than - its form. A portly looking coachman seated on a very high - coach-box, well dressed, wearing white gloves, a nosegay in his - button-hole, and his chin enveloped in an enormous cravat, drives - four horses perfectly matched and harnessed, and as carefully - groomed as when they excited admiration in the carriages of - Grosvenor and Berkeley Squares. Such is the manner in which - English horses are managed, such, also, is their docility, the - effect either of temperament or training, that you do not remark - the least restiveness in them. Four-horse coaches are to be seen - rapidly traversing the most populous streets of London, without - occasioning the least accident, without being at all - inconvenienced in the midst of the numerous carriages, which - hardly leave the necessary space to pass. The swearing of ostlers - is never heard at the relays, any more than the neighing of - horses; nor are you interrupted on the road by the voice of the - coachman, or the sound of his whip, which differs only from a - cabriolet whip in the length of the thong, and serves as a sort - of appendage, rather than a means of correction in the hand which - carries it. In England, where everything is so well arranged, - where each person knows so well how to confine himself to the - exigencies of his proper position, the horses do better what they - have to do than the horses of other countries, and that, too, - without the need of a brutal correction. One may travel from one - end of England to the other without hearing the sound of a whip, - or the hallooing of conductors, which in France fall so - disagreeably on the ears of travellers.</p> - - <p>"Among the wonders of English civilization, the inns should be - mentioned. In many of the larger towns they are magnificent, and - they are good and well supplied in the smallest. In the greater - part of them the servants are in livery, and in all their - attendance is prompt and respectful. On their arrival, - travellers <span class="pagenum"><a id="page284" name="page284"></a>(p. 284)</span> are received by the master of the house, - whose decent dress indicates a respectful feeling towards - strangers. Introduced into a well-heated, well-furnished room, - they have never to wait for a meal, the simplicity of which, in - the way of cookery, is atoned for by the elegance, often the - richness, of the plate and ware, and the superior quality of the - meat. A sleeping-room, as comfortable as this kind of apartment - (so neglected in England) can be, completes the <i lang="fr">agrément</i> of - your sojourn. Your discontent does not commence till the - exorbitant bill proves that such attentions, far from being - disinterested, are, on the contrary, dearly charged for. Seldom - do you separate from your host with a reciprocation of - politeness. Yet, notwithstanding the coldness with which his - attentions are received, the landlord does not cease to remain by - the side of the traveller till his carriage is in motion."</p> -</div> - -<p>With regard to the London hotels, travellers by the coaches generally -stopped where they stopped, and were very fairly treated. Of course, -there was none of the palatial magnificence of the modern hotel, but -there was an amount of homely comfort to which the people of those -days were accustomed. The West End hotels, save those for awful -swells, were about Covent Garden, and Morley's Hotel at Charing Cross -was one of the best. The first monster hotel in London was the Great -Western, and its financial success led the way to the palaces that now -adorn our West End thoroughfare.</p> - -<p>There is an amusing anecdote <i>re</i> "Mine Host" given in the <cite>New -Sporting Magazine</cite>, and quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of March 27, 1835—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Innkeeper's Ways</span>.</p> - - <p>"I will conclude with a story told me the other day, by a Kentish - gentleman, of an innkeeper's 'ways' on the Dover Road. Two - gentlemen having dined and stayed all night, called <span class="pagenum"><a id="page285" name="page285"></a>(p. 285)</span> for - the bill in the morning, and one of them happened to be within - earshot when the waiter went to the landlord to have it made out, - and overheard the following colloquy: Waiter: 'Please, sir, the - gemmen in No. 5 wants their bill.'—Landlord: 'Very well' (taking - down a printed form), 'let me hear what they had.'—Waiter: - 'Soup, sir.'—Landlord: 'Soup; very well; what sort was - it?'—Waiter: 'Mock turtle.'—Landlord: 'Mock turtle, 3<i>s.</i> Did - they make any remark about it?'—Waiter: 'No, sir; only one of - them said it was werry good.'—Landlord: 'Did they eat of it - twice?'—Waiter: 'Yes, sir.'—Landlord: 'Oh, then, mock turtle, - 5<i>s.</i>; now go on.'—Waiter: 'Fried sole and shrimp - sauce.'—Landlord: 'Fried sole, 2<i>s.</i>; shrimp sauce, 1<i>s.</i>; 3<i>s.</i> - Did they make any remark about that?'—Waiter: 'One of them said - that the fish was werry fresh.—Landlord: 'Indeed! then, fried - sole, 3<i>s.</i>; shrimp sauce, 1<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>; 4<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> Now go - on.'—Waiter: 'Small leg of Welsh mutton, potatoes, and French - beans.'—Landlord: 'Mutton, 5<i>s.</i>; potatoes, 1<i>s.</i>; French beans, - 5<i>s.</i>; rather early for French beans, isn't it?'—Waiter: 'Yes, - sir; both the gemmen remarked that it was werry - early.'—Landlord: 'Oh, then, French beans, 10<i>s.</i>'"</p> -</div> - -<p>Of the coaching hotels enough has been written from Smollett's time, -or before, to date; and, as for their number, any visitor to Barnet -can judge, by those that remain, several having been made to serve -other purposes. This was the first change out of London, on the great -North Road, and even I remember fifteen coaches running each way, and -the last one being run off. I think it was either the Luton Coach or -the Bedford Times.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page286" name="page286"></a>(p. 286)</span> CHAPTER XXVI.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Steam carriages on roads — Commission thereon — Steam - omnibus — Railways — A nuisance — Railways started during the - reign — Opening of the Greenwich Railway.</p> - -<p>But the road was not monopolized by horseflesh. Steam was asserting -itself, and many were the trials of steam carriages on the turnpike -roads. In 1821 Mr. Julius Griffith invented, and Messrs. Bramah -manufactured, a carriage, on which the engineer sat in front, and two -directors or steersmen behind, in vehicles separated from the -carriage, which swung easily on a variety of springs fastened into a -strong connecting frame. The error of this invention lay in the -boiler, which consisted of 114 tubes. These, unfortunately, would not -always contain the water; and, when empty, they became so heated, that -no force-pump could inject the water. In 1822, 1824, and 1825, Mr. -David Gordon tried his hand on steam carriages and failed. In 1829 Sir -James Anderson and Mr. James constructed one, under the patents -obtained by the latter gentleman in 1824 and 1825, and are said to -have worked the engine at a pressure of two hundred pounds each -square inch of the piston. In 1827 Mr. Goldsworthy <span class="pagenum"><a id="page287" name="page287"></a>(p. 287)</span> Gurney -patented one, as did also Messrs. Hill and Burstall in 1828.</p> - -<p>There was one running in August, 1830, belonging to Messrs. Summers -and Co., which began its journey by bursting a pipe. This repaired, it -utterly demoralized itself by running into a turnpike gatepost at -Turnham Green, and had to be taken home. Anyhow they must have become -fairly common, for we read in the <cite>Times</cite>, May 12, 1831—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Steam Carriages on Common Roads</span>.</p> - - <p>"Some of the advantages to the public from the use of steam on - the turnpike roads already begin to show themselves. Previous to - the starting of the steam coach between Gloucester and - Cheltenham, the fares were four shillings each person—now the - public are taken by all the coaches at one shilling per head. On - Tuesday morning the steam coach took thirty-three passengers from - Cheltenham to Gloucester in fifty minutes."</p> -</div> - -<p>Again, <cite>Times</cite>, June 7, 1831, quoting the <cite>Glasgow Chronicle</cite>, says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Mr. Gurney's<a id="footnotetag22" name="footnotetag22"></a><a href="#footnote22" title="Go to footnote 22"><span class="smaller">[22]</span></a> steam carriage was, on Wednesday night, blown - to pieces by an explosion of the boiler. The catastrophe occurred - in the square of the cavalry barracks, where the carriage was - exhibiting. It had gone round the square several times, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page288" name="page288"></a>(p. 288)</span> - and stopped at one corner of it, where some people got out. Two - boys, sons of Mr. Maclure, of the Port Eglinton Inn, at that time - entered, and were about to be followed by two gentlemen, when the - boiler burst with a tremendous explosion, and shattered the - vehicle into numberless pieces. The two boys were very seriously - injured in the face and other parts of the body, and they now lie - in very precarious circumstances."</p> - -<p>The road steam carriage was such a novelty, that people hardly knew -what to make of it, so a Select Committee of the House of Commons upon -it was appointed, who reported thereon to the House on October 12, -1831. The conclusion of the report was as follows:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Sufficient evidence has been adduced to convince your - Committee—</p> - - <p>"1. That carriages can be propelled by steam on common roads at - an average rate of ten miles per hour.</p> - - <p>"2. That at this rate they have conveyed upwards of fourteen - passengers.</p> - - <p>"3. That their weight, including engine, fuel, water, and - attendants, may be under three tons.</p> - - <p>"4. That they can ascend and descend hills of considerable - inclination with facility and safety.</p> - - <p>"5. That they are perfectly safe for passengers.</p> - - <p>"6. That they are not (or need not be, if properly constructed) - nuisances to the public.</p> - - <p>"7. That they will become a speedier and cheaper mode of - conveyance than carriages drawn by horses.</p> - - <p>"8. That, as they admit of greater breadth of tire than other - carriages, and as the roads are not acted on so injuriously as by - the feet of horses in common draught, such carriages will cause - less wear of roads than coaches drawn by horses.</p> - - <p>"9. That rates of toll have been imposed on steam carriages which - would prohibit their being used on several lines of road, were - such charges permitted to remain unaltered."</p> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page289" name="page289"></a>(p. 289)</span> On August 20, 1832, we hear of a steam carriage, constructed -by a Mr. Hancock, intending to make an experimental trip to Windsor, -and coming to grief at Dachet. In November and December of the same -year we learn that a steam carriage, constructed by Captain Macirone -and Mr. Squire, was running about Paddington, and that "the jolting -was not much greater than an ordinary stage coach." In the <cite>Times</cite> of -April 25, 1833, we read of a</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Steam Omnibus</span>.</p> - - <p>"Monday afternoon an omnibus, worked by steam on a new and - ingenious principle, was tried on the Paddington Road. The - machine altogether does not exceed the space which an ordinary - omnibus, with horses attached, would occupy, and the appearance - is particularly neat. The body is capable of containing fourteen - persons, the engine dividing that from the furnace in the rear. - The passengers experience no inconvenience from heat, and, coke - being the fuel employed, there is no annoyance from smoke. The - engine works on a crank, not on an axle, and the propelling power - is applied to the wheels by means of iron chains. The chief - recommendation, that which timid persons will consider most, is - that there can be no possibility of explosion. The propelling - power is equal to fifteen or twenty miles an hour; but, even when - the steam is raised to its very highest pressure, there is no - risk, the water being deposited in several iron pipes, or what - are termed chamber boilers, with a valve to carry off the - superfluous steam. The guide, who sits in front, has complete - control of the vehicle, and can arrest its progress - instantaneously. It is intended to ply regularly from Paddington - to the Bank."</p> -</div> - -<p>Captain Macirone's steam carriage was repeatedly noticed by the -Press, and in 1834 there is an <span class="pagenum"><a id="page290" name="page290"></a>(p. 290)</span> advertisement of a company to -work Dr. Church's steam carriage; but all the schemes came to nought.</p> - -<p>When William IV. came to the throne there were practically no railways -for passenger traffic; and it was during his reign that nearly all the -main lines in England were projected. I now marvel at their having -attained so rapid a popularity, for the travelling was very -uncomfortable. The idea of a stage coach was very difficult to get rid -of, and the carriages were subdivided so as to represent it as much as -possible—even their outsides were modelled, as far as could be, to -look like a coach, and to this day a train is, in railway <i lang="fr">parlance</i>, -made up of so many coaches. The first class were padded and cushioned, -but were very stuffy, having small windows; the second class were of -plain painted wood, narrow seats, no room for one's legs, and <em>very</em> -small windows; in the third class there were no seats, it was simply a -cattle truck in which every one stood up, and as there was no roof, it -was rather lively travelling in wet weather.</p> - -<p>Railways were soon considered as a nuisance to the public, and on -March 30th, at York, an action of <i>Rex</i> v. <i>Pease and others</i> was -tried. It was an indictment for a nuisance against the Stockton and -Darlington Railway Company, which was opened on September 27, 1825. By -an Act of Parliament, passed in 1821, the defendants were authorized -to form a railway from Darlington to Sunderland, and, by another Act -passed in 1823, they were authorized to use locomotive engines -thereon. The railway <span class="pagenum"><a id="page291" name="page291"></a>(p. 291)</span> which, it was agreed, had been formed -upon the line pointed out in the Act of Parliament, was opened for -public use in 1825. Only one steam engine was at first used; but the -number gradually increased till there were seven in operation. This -increase had been rendered necessary by the increasing business on the -railway.</p> - -<p>For about a mile and three-quarters the railway runs in a parallel -line with the high-road leading from Yarm to Stockton, the two roads -being at an average distance from each other of fifty yards. The -nuisance complained of was the fright and danger which the noise and -the smoke of the steam engines occasioned to passengers on this part -of the highway. A variety of witnesses proved that accidents -frequently happened in consequence of horses taking fright at the -steam engine. Counsel for the railway stated that he was willing to -admit that his clients had been guilty of a nuisance, unless their -conduct was justified by the Act of Parliament, according to the -directions of which, the railway had been formed, and the steam -engines used. He suggested, therefore, that the best mode would be for -the jury to return a special verdict, finding the facts already -proved, and also that the defendants had used the best engines they -could procure, and availed themselves of every improvement offered. -The counsel for the prosecution, after some deliberation, agreed to -the proposal, and a nominal verdict of guilty was recorded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page292" name="page292"></a>(p. 292)</span> The first railway opened in this reign was in 1830, the -Liverpool and Manchester, which melancholy event has already been -noticed. In December, 1831, was opened that between Dundee and -Newtyle. In 1833 the following railways were projected. The London and -Bristol (G.W.R.), London and Southampton (L. & S.W.R.), London and -Birmingham (L. &. N.W.R), London and Brighton, and London and -Greenwich; in 1834 the Great Northern Railway; in 1835 the Eastern -Counties Railway (G.E.R.), and the Commercial or Blackwall Railway. -The other railways opened for traffic were the Leeds and Selby, -September 22, 1834; Dublin and Kingdown on December 17, 1834; London -and Greenwich, December 14, 1836, and Liverpool and Birmingham, July -4, 1837. Besides these there were many others projected, some of which -came to nought. Take, for instance, one column of advertisements (p. -2, c. 5, <cite>Times</cite>, April 18, 1836)—South Western Railway, Padstow -Breakwater, and Rock Delabole, Camelford, Callington, and Plymouth -Railway, South London Union Railway, Bristol and Gloucestershire -Railway, Margate and Ramsgate Railway, Ramsgate, Canterbury, Sandwich, -Deal and Dover Railway, Gloucester and Hereford Railway, Harwich -Railway, Westminster and Deptford Railway, and the Great Central Irish -Railway.</p> - -<p>In fact, the satire in <cite>John Bull</cite> of April 9, 1836, was not -altogether undeserved—</p> - -<p class="quote">"There is always a clown in a pantomime who knocks his head - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page293" name="page293"></a>(p. 293)</span> against a door, and tumbles on his nether end, and grins - and distorts his limbs, and does, in short, a thousand feats to - make the ridiculous performance more ridiculous still. In the - pantomime of railroads, in which the tricks are innumerable, - there is a clown, one so supereminently ridiculous, that if - Grimaldi were still young and active enough to wear his blue tuft - and wafer-dotted unmentionables, he would be jealous. The scheme - to which we allude is one called by the sounding name of an - International Railway—London, Paris, and Brussels, by Dover and - Calais; and there are blanks left in the prospectus (and likely - to be left) for the names of French patrons and Belgian patrons, - and provincial directors, and all the rest of it; and the - beginning of the suggestion is, that people are to go to Croydon - in the first instance, as the shortest way to Belgium. Croydon - seems an odd starting-point for Brussels; however, the prospectus - infers that London has something to do with it; how much, we may - venture to guess, by finding that the railroad communication with - London is disavowed before the committee to whom the Bill is - referred. As to Brussels and Paris, they will come, of course, - when once the sea is crossed; but we must say that the Grimaldi - railway, which renders it necessary to proceed by the old mode of - travelling to Croydon in order to be steamed to Brussels, is very - like paying a shilling to be rattled in an omnibus from London to - a field in Bermondsey marsh, in order to climb up a flight of - stairs to be rattled along the railroad at Deptford, at which - place the traveller is suddenly ejected, his object being - Greenwich (after which town the absurdity is delusively named), - which it neither does, nor, thanks to the wisdom of Parliament, - ever will reach; so that, what with the coloured hearse through - the City, before you get to the starting-place in the bog, the - climb upstairs, and the wearisome walk through the mud of the - Lower Road to Greenwich, after you come down again, you would - save exactly six pennies and three-quarters of an hour if you - stepped into a fast-going coach at the Shoulder of Mutton or the - Salopian at Charing Cross, and went slap bang to Greenwich - itself, for the trifling charge of one shilling. This is absurd - for a short affair and a matter of joke; but the railroad from - Croydon to Brussels, for a serious concern and a long business, - 'beats Bannagher,' as Mr. O'Connell says."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page294" name="page294"></a>(p. 294)</span> The Greenwich Railway referred to was opened by the Lord -Mayor and civic authorities, on December 14, 1836, but only as far as -Deptford; and the whole affair seems to have been a muddle. The -<cite>Times</cite> of December 15 says—</p> - -<p class="quote">"On the arrival of the several trains at Deptford the occupants - of the carriages were allowed to get out; but here the - arrangements fell far short of what we expected, for no - preparation was made for their return. Many who had got out in - the hopes of being present at the presentation to the Lord Mayor, - and others who wished to regale themselves at some of the - neighbouring inns at Deptford, could not, from the density of the - crowds below the railway, get out; and, on retracing their steps - to the railway, they found it a work of still greater difficulty - and danger to return to the carriages from which they had - alighted. Many who had taken the precaution to notice the name of - the engine which drew the train, and the number of the carriage - which brought them down, got back in the line between two trains, - but were told by the conductors that they could not return by - that way without great risk, for that the trains would return - immediately. In consequence of this, many persons who came down - by the trains went on to Deptford, and thence to town by the - coaches."</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page295" name="page295"></a>(p. 295)</span> CHAPTER XXVII.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Cases of wife selling — Duelling — Cases of — O'Connell and - D'Israeli — Other duels.</p> - -<p>There were two amusements somewhat fashionable in this reign, wife -selling and duelling. The former is still in existence, the latter is -extinct in England. The halter round the neck was used when the wife -was sold at market, it being considered that, being thus accoutred, -she was on a level with the cattle, and thus could be legally sold. -Here is a ballad of the period thereon.</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Sale of a Wife.</span></p> - - <p>"Attend to my ditty, you frolicsome folk,<br /> - I'll tell you a story—a comical joke;<br /> - 'Tis a positive fact, what I'm going to unfold,<br /> - Concerning a woman who by auction was sold.</p> - -<p class="center"><i>Chorus.</i></p> - - <p>Then long may he flourish, and prosper through life,<br /> - The sailor that purchased the carpenter's wife.</p> - - <p>"A carpenter lived not a mile off from here,<br /> - Being a little, or rather, too fond of his beer;<br /> - Being hard up for brass—it is true, on my life,<br /> - For ten shillings, by auction, he sold off his wife.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page296" name="page296"></a>(p. 296)</span> "The husband and wife they could never agree,<br /> - For he was too fond of going out on the spree;<br /> - They settled the matter, without more delay,<br /> - So, tied in a halter, he took her away.</p> - - <p>"He sent round the bell-man, announcing the sale,<br /> - All in the hay-market, and that without fail;<br /> - The auctioneer came, with his hammer so smart,<br /> - And the carpenter's wife stood up in a cart.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img296.jpg" width="250" height="202" alt="" title="Sale of a Wife." /> -</div> - - <p>"Now she was put up without grumble or frown,<br /> - The first bid was a tailor, that bid half a crown;<br /> - Says he, 'I will make her a lady so spruce,<br /> - And fatten her well upon cabbage and goose.'<a id="footnotetag23" name="footnotetag23"></a><a href="#footnote23" title="Go to footnote 23"><span class="smaller">[23]</span></a></p> - - <p>"'Five and sixpence three farthings,' a butcher then said,<br /> - 'Six and ten,' said a barber, with his curly head;<br /> - Then up jump'd a cobbler, said he, 'In three cracks,<br /> - I'll give you nine shillings and two balls of wax.'</p> - - <p>"'Just look at her beauty,' the auctioneer cries;<br /> - 'She's mighty good-tempered, and sober likewise.'<br /> - 'Damme,' said a sailor, 'she's three out of four,<br /> - Ten shillings I bid for her, not a screw more.'</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page297" name="page297"></a>(p. 297)</span> "'Thank you, sir, thank you,' said the bold auctioneer,<br /> - 'Going for ten. Is there nobody here<br /> - Will bid any more? Is not this a bad job?<br /> - Going! Going! I say—she's gone for ten bob.'</p> - - <p>"The hammer was struck; that concluded the sale,<br /> - The sailor he paid down the brass on the nail;<br /> - He shook hands with Betsy, and gave her a smack,<br /> - And she jumped straddle-legs on to his back.</p> - - <p>"The people all relished the joke, it appears,<br /> - And gave the young sailor three hearty good cheers;<br /> - He never cried stop, with his darling so sweet,<br /> - Until he was landed in Denison Street.</p> - - <p>"They sent for fiddler and piper to play,<br /> - They danced and they sung, till the break of day;<br /> - Then Jack to his hammock with Betsy did go,<br /> - While the fiddler and piper played 'Rosin, the beau.'"</p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>I have eleven cases of wife selling in this reign, copied from the -<cite>Times</cite>, and I have no doubt I have overlooked some more. The first -is—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Selling a Wife</span>.</p> - - <p>"The following memorandum (says the <cite>Stockport Advertiser</cite>), - drawn upon a 1<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> stamp, will best explain the nature of a - bargain between two fellows at a beer shop, in the Hillgate, in - this town. Milward is a butcher, and was last week fined before - our magistrates for using uneven balances in his trading - transactions. The other persons are unknown to us:—</p> - - <p>"'I, Booth Milward, bought of William Clayton, his wife, for five - shillings, to be delivered on the 25th of March, 1831, to be - delivered in a <em>alter</em> at Mr. John Lomases house.</p> - -<p class="signa">"'<span class="smcap">William Clayton.</span><br /> - "'Witnesses: Joseph Gordon, G. Wood, George Whalley.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>The next is from the <cite>Times</cite>, February 25, 1832—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center"><span class="pagenum"><a id="page298" name="page298"></a>(p. 298)</span> "<span class="smcap">Buying and Selling Wives.</span></p> - - <p>"In an evening paper we find the following story: 'A most - disgusting and disgraceful scene happened in Smithfield Market on - Monday last, which at the present day is of very rare occurrence. - About two o'clock in the afternoon a fellow came into the market - leading his wife by a halter, and gave her to a drover, desiring - him to tie her to the pens and sell her to the best bidder. The - woman, who did not appear to be above twenty-five years of age, - and not bad looking, suffered herself to be tied up very quietly. - A crowd of persons soon gathered round, and a man of rather - respectable appearance entered into a negotiation with the drover - for the purchase of the wife; and, after some higgling, she was - finally knocked down to him for the sum of ten shillings. The - money was paid, but the drover refused to release her except on - payment of two shillings as his commission for the sale which he - had effected. Some confusion took place about the demand, but it - was eventually paid, and she was released from the pens, opposite - the Half Moon public house, and delivered to her purchaser, who - appeared highly pleased with his bargain. The parties adjourned - to a neighbouring public house, where the late husband spent the - greater part of the money in brandy and water.'"</p> -</div> - -<p>The following is from the <cite>Times</cite> of April 26, 1832 (from the -<cite>Lancaster Herald</cite>), and is somewhat out of the common run of these -affairs:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Sale of a Wife by her Husband at Carlyle</span>.</p> - - <p>"On Saturday, the 7th instant, the inhabitants of this city - witnessed the sale of a wife by her husband, Joseph Thompson, who - resides in a small village about three miles from this city. He - rents a farm of about forty-two or forty-four acres, and was - married at Hexham in the year 1829 to his present wife. She is a - spruce, lively, and buxom damsel, apparently not exceeding - twenty-two years of age, and appeared to feel a pleasure at the - exchange she was about to make. They had no children during their - union, and that, together with some family disputes, caused them - by mutual agreement to come to the resolution of finally - parting. Accordingly the bellman was sent round to give public - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page299" name="page299"></a>(p. 299)</span> notice of the sale, which was to take place at twelve - o'clock. This announcement attracted the notice of thousands. She - appeared above the crowd, standing on a large oak chair, - surrounded by many of her friends, with a rope or halter made of - straw about her neck. She was dressed in rather a fashionable - country style, and appeared to some advantage. The husband, who - was also standing in an elevated position near her, proceeded to - put her up for sale, and spoke nearly as follows:—</p> - - <p>"'Gentlemen, I have to offer to your notice my wife, Mary Ann - Thompson, otherwise Williamson, whom I mean to sell to the - highest and fairest bidder. Gentlemen, it is her wish, as well as - mine to part for ever. She has been to me only a bosom serpent. I - took her for my comfort and the good of my house, but she became - my tormentor, a domestic curse, a night invasion, and a daily - devil. (Great laughter.) Gentlemen, I speak truth from my heart - when I say, "May God deliver us from troublesome wives and - frolicsome widows!" Avoid them as you would a mad dog, a roaring - lion, a loaded pistol, cholera morbus, Mount Etna, or any other - pestilential phenomena in nature.</p> - - <p>"Now I have shown you the dark side of my wife, and told you her - faults and her failings, I will introduce the bright and sunny - side of her, and explain her qualifications and her goodness. She - can read novels and milk cows; she can laugh and weep with the - same ease that you can take a glass of ale when thirsty; indeed, - gentlemen, she reminds me of what the poet says of women in - general—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem">"'Heaven gave to women the peculiar grace,<br /> - To laugh, to weep, to cheat the human race.'</p> -</div> - - <p>"She can make butter and scold the maid; she can sing Moore's - Melodies, and plait her frills and caps; she cannot make rum, - gin, or whisky, but she is a good judge of the quality from long - experience in tasting them. I therefore offer her, with all her - perfections and imperfections, for the sum of 50<i>s.</i></p> - - <p>"After an hour or two, she was purchased by Henry Mears, a - pensioner, for the sum of 20<i>s.</i> and a Newfoundland dog. The - happy people immediately left town together, amidst the shouts - and huzzas of the multitude, in which they were joined by - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page300" name="page300"></a>(p. 300)</span> Thompson, who, with the greatest good humour imaginable, - proceeded to put the halter which his wife had taken off round - the neck of his Newfoundland dog, and then proceeded to the first - public-house, where he spent the remainder of the day."</p> -</div> - -<p>In the <cite>Times</cite> of March 25, 1833, is the following:—</p> - -<p class="quote">"A grinder, named Calton, sold his wife publicly in the market - place, Stockport, last Monday week. She was purchased by a - shopmate of her husband for a gallon of beer! The fair one, who - had a halter round her neck, seemed quite agreeable.—<cite>Blackburn - Gazette.</cite>"</p> - -<p>The <cite>Times</cite> of May 24th, 1834, quoting the <cite>Paisley Advertiser</cite>, -says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Sale of a Wife</span>.</p> - - <p>"Monday night a party of doughty neighbours met in a house in New - Sneddon to enjoy a tankard or two of reaming swats, and to decide - by which of the rival 'best possible instructors' they were, - henceforth, to be enlightened. In the course of the discussion, - one of them announced his intention of setting up a dram shop, - and stated that there was only one article wanting. 'What was - that?' 'A wife!' 'A wife!' exclaimed the host—whose name is as - the name of the upper part of the garment in which the humble - daughters of St. Mirren delight to conceal their beauties—'I - will sell you mine for twenty pounds Scots.' Some higgling took - place, in the course of which the virtues of the wife shone out - with such conspicuous lustre that her price was raised to twenty - pounds sterling. This sum the purchaser agreed to pay, a contract - was drawn out, and signed by three witnesses, the conditions of - sale being that the money was to be tabled, and the transfer - completed by next day, at noon.</p> - - <p>"Next day came, and found the seller, the purchaser, and their - witnesses once more assembled, discussing at once the terms of - agreement and a can of grog. Some of the witnesses seemed to - think that the joke was carried far enough, and proposed that the - whole proceedings should be nullified on the host forfeiting £1, - to be 'melted,' in the house; but the host was too well up to - trap <span class="pagenum"><a id="page301" name="page301"></a>(p. 301)</span> to be wheedled out of his £20, and saddled with his - wife to boot; he therefore persisted in the fulfilment of the - contract, and, as the purchaser was equally averse to a rue - bargain, arrangements were put in operation to complete the - transaction.</p> - - <p>"Meanwhile, the wife, whose good qualities may be judged of by - the great rise which took place in her price, while the terms - were under discussion, got a hint of the negotiations that were - pending, and, being a good deal nettled that her opinion should - not have been asked in an affair in which she was so nearly - concerned, sallied out to a neighbouring court, known by the name - of 'Little <em>Ire</em>land,' and sounded the tocsin of alarm. A much - smaller matter than the sale of a wife was enough to agitate - 'Little <em>Ire</em>land.' With <em>ire</em> akin to that which animated the - bosom of 'Cutty Sark' and her compeers, as they sallied out of - Alloway Kirk to avenge themselves on Tam o'Shanter and his mare - Meg, sallied out the daughters of Little Ireland to avenge the - insult thus offered to one of the best half of creation. Every - damsel who could wag a tongue—mercy on us, how numerous a - class!—every one who could wield a poker, fender, or pair of - tongs, flew to arms, and resolved on a simultaneous attack; while - the high contracting parties, and their assistant negotiators - were within, discussing terms, wholly ignorant of the storm that - was brewing around them. How the victory would have gone it is no - way difficult to predict; but before active hostilities - commenced, the police arrived, and conveyed the negotiators to - the office, where they were detained until the vast crowds which - had collected had dispersed, and until security had been given - that appearance would be made next day. There the whole party - were brought before the magistrates, and looked exceedingly - foolish on the occasion. No such an affair as the sale of a wife - seems ever to have been heard of in these northern latitudes, - and, as the fiscal knew from the parricide case of old, that to - prescribe a punishment for a crime was a powerful means to get - the crime introduced, he resolved not to be privy to such a - doing, and, therefore, restricted his charge to a breach of the - peace. The magistrate did not find that a breach of the peace - could be brought home to the parties; and, after animadverting in - severe terms on the disgraceful nature of such proceedings, and - addressing the salesman and purchaser in terms which, we dare - say, they will not soon forget, he dismissed <span class="pagenum"><a id="page302" name="page302"></a>(p. 302)</span> them from - the bar. The purchaser, who is verging on three score years and - ten, seemed to have come into court predetermined to appeal, and - declared that a bargain was a bargain; but, with the whisky still - buzzing in his head, he appealed at a wrong time, and tabled his - shilling before the sentence of dismissal was pronounced."</p> -</div> - -<p>The lady got the best of it on another occasion, according to the -<cite>Halifax Express</cite>, quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of April 4, 1836—</p> - -<p class="quote">"On Wednesday, May Day Green, Barnsley, was the scene of an - extraordinary encounter. A woman beat her husband on the face - till the blood flew about; he, in turn, sent the bellman round to - proclaim the sale of his wife by auction; but, when he appeared - with a halter to sell her, the Amazon rushed upon him again with - her fists, and put him to total rout."</p> - -<p>As a last example,<a id="footnotetag24" name="footnotetag24"></a><a href="#footnote24" title="Go to footnote 24"><span class="smaller">[24]</span></a> I will give another, which occurred in London, -and which is thus reported in the <cite>Times</cite> of August 2, 1836—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Sale of a Wife</span>.</p> - - <p>"Yesterday morning, between ten and eleven o'clock, one of those - disgraceful scenes, the sale of a wife, took place at the New - Islington Cattle Market. It appears that at about nine o'clock a - man about forty-two years of age, of shabby genteel exterior, led - a well-looking young woman, about thirty years of age, with a - halter round her waist, to Smithfield Market; and, having tied - her up, was about to offer her to the highest bidder; but, - several persons interfering, it was agreed to go forthwith to - Islington Market to accomplish their object; and, in order to - expedite the matter, they jumped into a hackney coach, and were - driven off at full speed, to the spot where the marriage knot was - to be dissolved. They were followed from Smithfield by a young - man of plausible appearance, who on seeing the wife tied up at - Islington <span class="pagenum"><a id="page303" name="page303"></a>(p. 303)</span> Market for sale, bid 5<i>s.</i> for her, but he was - outbid by several persons, but, subsequently, became purchaser of - the lot for 26<i>s.</i>, and conveyed her home in a coach to his - lodgings. The other man walked home, whistling merrily, declaring - he had got rid of a troublesome, noisy woman, and that it was the - happiest day of his life. Surely the police ought to have - interfered to prevent such a disgusting outrage upon Society."</p> -</div> - -<p>Well! the lower classes of the time were simply animal brutes, with -very little of Arnold's "sweetness and light" in their composition. -Uneducated, ignorant, very seldom moving from one spot, badly housed, -and nobody's care, it would have been a wonder had it been otherwise. -The middle-class were steady-going, stay-at-home people, with not too -much brains, and even of them making but little use—and they were -only emerging from the barbarism which required the solution of any -disagreement among men to be settled by physical force, either by -fists or the duel. It is astonishing to see how these contests fell -off in this reign, as public opinion declared itself against the -practice of duelling.</p> - -<p>People of old quarrelled and killed each other about such very -trifles. Colonel Montgomery was shot in a duel about a dog, Captain -Ramsay in one about a servant, Mr. Featherston in one about a recruit, -Sterne's father in one about a goose, and some one else about an "acre -of anchovies" instead of "artichokes." One officer was challenged for -merely asking his opponent to have another glass, and another was -compelled to fight about a pinch of snuff, while General Barry was -challenged by a <span class="pagenum"><a id="page304" name="page304"></a>(p. 304)</span> Captain Smith for declining a glass of wine -with him at dinner in a steamboat, although the general had pleaded in -excuse that wine invariably made him sick at sea.</p> - -<p>But when William the Fourth was King, public opinion was set against -the practice, and this was so felt, that quarrelsome persons betook -themselves abroad to settle their differences. This was the case in a -famous duel in 1834, between Captain Helsham and Lieutenant Crowther, -at Boulogne, in which the latter was killed. Captain Helsham stood his -trial for murder at the Old Bailey on October 8th, and was -<em>acquitted</em>. In September of the same year Lord Bingham and Major -Fitzgerald met at Brussels, but they did not fight. O'Connell's tongue -got him into many scrapes. In 1815 he shot D'Esterre in a duel. In -October, 1834, he was challenged by Sir Henry Hardinge for having -applied most offensive and outrageous terms of personal insult to him; -but the Irishman refused to fight, which was a wonder, as they were -generally too eager for the fray. Witness a hostile meeting which took -place near Ashbourne, about ten miles from Dublin, on December 23, -1834, between Messrs. Pope and L'Estrange, in which "the -misunderstanding arose from expressions used in the theatre regarding -a lady whom Mr. Pope had attended thither." One newspaper, the <cite>Times</cite> -of October 2, 1832, records three duels.</p> - -<p>The O'Connells were particularly fond of duelling. On December 13, -1832, William John O'Connell, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page305" name="page305"></a>(p. 305)</span> nephew of the "Liberator," -fought a Mr. Richard Kearney in the deer park at Greenwich. All the -parties concerned had dined together at the Piazza Hotel, Regent -Street, and afterwards adjourned to some place of amusement, where a -row ensued, and the outcome was a meeting at Chalk Farm the same -evening, but as the evening was too dark, it was adjourned till the -next morning, and came off in Greenwich Park. O'Connell shot his man -in the leg, and was afterwards apprehended by the police, and bound -over to keep the peace for six months. On May 11, 1834, a duel was -fought at Exeter, between Dr. Hennis, a young physician, and Sir John -Jeffcott, recently appointed Chief Justice and Judge of the Vice -Admiralty Court, Sierra Leone. Dr. Hennis did not fire, but was -mortally wounded by the judge, who at once got on board a ship and set -sail for Africa, thus eluding the police. The seconds were arrested, -as accessories, but at their trial were acquitted.</p> - -<p>In 1834, Sir Robert Peel challenged both Dr. Lushington and Joseph -Hume, but the causes of quarrel were courteously explained, and no -meetings took place. On May 5, 1835, a duel was fought, in a field on -the Finchley Road, between Lord Alvanley and Morgan O'Connell, son of -the "Liberator." The ground was measured at twelve paces, and it was -agreed that Colonel Damer should give the word, which was to be -"Ready!—Fire!" The parties were placed, and the pistols were -delivered, Colonel Damer gave the words, and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page306" name="page306"></a>(p. 306)</span> O'Connell -fired; but not so Lord Alvanley, who said he thought the words were -only preparatory, and claimed his right to fire. This was disallowed, -and another round was fired without effect. Mr. O'Connell not being -satisfied, yet another was arranged, after which, Lord Alvanley's -second declared he would walk his man off the ground; this also was -fired, without effect, and the duel terminated.</p> - -<p>I have now to chronicle a passage of arms which, luckily, was -bloodless, between two celebrities—Daniel O'Connell and Benjamin -D'Israeli. At a meeting of the Franchise Association, held on May 2, -1835, at the Corn Exchange, Dublin, O'Connell stated that he had -something to mention, personal to himself. Of all the abusive attacks -that had ever been made on him, that recently volunteered by a Mr. -D'Israeli, the unsuccessful Tory candidate at Taunton, was the most -reckless, unprovoked, and unwarrantable. All that he knew of this Mr. -D'Israeli was, that he had sent to him (Mr. O'Connell) in 1831, to -write a letter in his favour to the electors of Wickham, for which he -was a candidate in the Radical interest. On that occasion he was -unsuccessful, as well as in a subsequent attempt as a Radical in -Marylebone. Since then he had made some attempts to get into -Parliament as a Tory, and certainly no one was so fit for the Tory -faction as a man who had been twice rejected by the Radicals.</p> - -<p>He had called him (Mr. O'Connell) a traitor and an incendiary; and, -having thus grossly and <span class="pagenum"><a id="page307" name="page307"></a>(p. 307)</span> maliciously assailed him, he should -not be restrained by any notion of false delicacy in describing Mr. -D'Israeli in the terms his conduct merited. Here the honourable and -learned gentleman uttered a terrible philippic against Mr. D'Israeli, -of which the following passage is a specimen. In describing Mr. -D'Israeli as a descendant of a Jew (without meaning to cast any -imputation either on the name, or the nation, which he respected) Mr. -O'Connell said that he verily believed that, although the people of -Israel were the chosen of God, yet there were miscreants amongst them -also, and Mr. D'Israeli was one of those, for he possessed the quality -of the impenitent thief who died upon the cross, and he (Mr. -O'Connell) was convinced that that thief's name was D'Israeli. For -aught he knew, this D'Israeli might be his heir-at-law, and now he -forgave the descendant of the blasphemous thief who died impenitent -upon the cross.</p> - -<p>It is not possible to suppose that Mr. D'Israeli could pass this -calmly by; and he did not, but wrote to O'Connell's son as follows:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - -<p class="date"> - "31<span class="smcap">A</span>, Park Street, Grosvenor Square,<br /> - "Tuesday, May 5.</p> - -<p>"Sir,</p> - - <p>"As you have established yourself as the champion of your father, - I have the honour to request your notice to a very scurrilous - attack which your father has made upon my conduct and character.</p> - - <p>"Had Mr. O'Connell, according to the practice observed among - gentlemen, appealed to me respecting the accuracy of the - reported expressions, before he indulged in offensive comments - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page308" name="page308"></a>(p. 308)</span> upon them, he would, if he can be influenced by a sense - of justice, have felt that such comments were unnecessary. He has - not thought fit to do so, and he leaves me no alternative but to - request that you, his son, will resume your vicarious duties of - yielding satisfaction for the insults which your father has too - long lavished with impunity upon his political opponents.</p> - -<p class="signa">"I have the honour to be, Sir, your obedient servant,<br /> - "<span class="smcap">D'Israeli</span>.</p> - -<p>"Morgan O'Connell, Esq., M.P."</p> -</div> - -<p>To this the younger O'Connell replied—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - -<p class="date">"9, Clarges Street, Tuesday, May 5.</p> - - <p>"Sir,</p> - - <p>"I have this day received a letter from you, stating that a - scurrilous attack has been made upon you by my father, without - giving me any information as to the expressions complained of, or - when or where they were used, and which I now hear of for the - first time.</p> - - <p>"I deny your right to call upon me in the present instance, and I - am not answerable for what my father may say. I called on Lord - Alvanley for satisfaction, because I conceived he had purposely - insulted my father, by calling a meeting at Brookes's for the - purpose of expelling him from the club, he being at the time - absent in Ireland.</p> - - <p>"When I deny your right to call upon me in the present instance, - I also beg leave, most unequivocably, to deny your right to - address an insulting letter to me, who am almost personally - unknown to you, and unconscious of ever having given you the - slightest offence. I must, therefore, request that you will - withdraw the letter, as, without that, it will be impossible for - me to enter into an explanation.</p> - -<p class="signa">"I have the honour, etc.,<br /> - "<span class="smcap">M. O'Connell</span>.</p> - -<p>"B. D'Israeli, Esq."</p> -</div> - -<p>To this Mr. D'Israeli replied that he could not withdraw the letter, -but assured his correspondent <span class="pagenum"><a id="page309" name="page309"></a>(p. 309)</span> that he did not intend that it -should convey any personal insult. On the same day he wrote old Dan a -long and scathing letter, which wound up thus—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"I expect to be a representative of the people before the Repeal - of the Union. We shall meet at Philippi, and rest assured that, - confident in a good cause, and in some energies which have been - not altogether improved, I will seize the first opportunity of - inflicting upon you a castigation which will make you at the same - time remember and repent the insults that you have lavished upon</p> - -<p class="signa">"<span class="smcap">Benjamin D'Israeli</span>."</p> -</div> - -<p>There was more letter writing, but it never came to a fight.</p> - -<p>Willis says that he met Moore at Lady Blessington's, and, in the -course of conversation, speaking of the "Liberator," he said—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"O'Connell would be irresistible were it not for the blots on his - character—the contribution in Ireland for his support, and his - refusal to give satisfaction to the man he is still coward enough - to attack. They may say what they will of duelling; it is the - great preserver of the decencies of society. The old school, - which made a man responsible for his words, was the better. Then, - in O'Connell's case, he had not made his vow against duelling - when Peel challenged him. He accepted the challenge, and Peel - went to Dover, on his way to France, where they were to meet; - O'Connell pleaded his wife's illness, and delayed till the law - interfered. Some other Irish patriot, about the same time, - refused a challenge on account of the illness of his daughter, - and a Dublin wit made a good epigram on the two—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<p class="poem"> - "'Some men, with a horror of slaughter,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Improve on the Scripture command;</span><br /> - And honour their wife and their daughter,<br /> - <span class="add1em">That their days may be long in the land.'"</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page310" name="page310"></a>(p. 310)</span> In November, 1835, Mr. Roebuck, M.P. (commonly known as -"Tear-'em"), and Mr. Black, the editor of the <cite>Morning Chronicle</cite>, -fought a duel at Christchurch, Hants. At the first round Mr. Roebuck -fired in the air, but at the second, both principals fired -simultaneously, but no mischief was done. I wind up this account of -duels of the reign, in which, however, I have not given a tithe part -of those that occurred, with the last one in my notes, taken from the -<cite>Times</cite>, June 15, 1837.</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Distressing Duel.</span></p> - - <p>"Yesterday morning, between three and four o'clock, a meeting - took place in a field near St. John's Wood between the Hon. Henry - D—— and Mr. Robert ——. The parties are nearly related to each - other, and the misunderstanding arose in consequence of an - elopement of a distressing nature. The parties had taken their - stations and were upon the point of firing, when a cabriolet - dashed up the adjacent lane at a tremendous speed, and a lady, in - a wild and hurried manner, rushed up the field towards the party, - but ere she could succeed in reaching them the word 'Fire!' was - given, and one of the combatants, Mr. Henry D——, fell. The - lady, who proved to be the Hon. Mrs. D——, perceiving this, - uttered the most heartrending shrieks, and, rushing to the spot, - accused herself of being the murderer of her husband. The - gentlemen present had the greatest difficulty in forcing her from - the spot. A surgeon in attendance at first pronounced the hon. - gentleman's wound to be fatal; but, subsequently, a consultation - of medical men having been held at the hon. gentleman's - residence, some slight hopes are entertained of his recovery. It - is said that the unfortunate cause of the catastrophe has been in - a state of delirium since the event, and has twice made an - attempt to lay violent hands on herself."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page311" name="page311"></a>(p. 311)</span> CHAPTER XXVIII.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Smuggling — Its prevalence — Cases — Great smuggling of silks, - etc. — More Cases.</p> - -<p>Another thing, which has almost died out, but then was in full force, -was smuggling; but then almost every import paid some duty, and that -on spirits, tea, and tobacco was excessively heavy, and, consequently, -the temptation was very great. Kent and the south-east coast -generally, were the favourite resorts for smugglers, owing to their -proximity to France, and smuggling was a regularly organized business -in which much capital was embarked. Every one on the coast knew -something about contraband trade, and, if they did not openly aid in -it, they certainly did nothing to aid in capturing smugglers. This -rendered the duties of the Excise more laborious than they otherwise -might be; and, as the smugglers were generally in force, owing to the -magnitude of their ventures, the dangers involved in their capture -increased proportionately. Being caught, meant fine or imprisonment to -the smugglers, besides loss of goods; so that if the parties ever -came in collision <span class="pagenum"><a id="page312" name="page312"></a>(p. 312)</span> it was no child's play. We may judge of the -magnitude of the contraband trade by the frequency of newspaper -reports of it, and it must be remembered that the instances chronicled -would represent a very small percentage of runs which were successful -and unheard of. To show their frequency, I will quote three notices in -the <cite>Times</cite> of January 10, January 22, and February 22, 1831. The -first is taken from the <cite>Hastings Iris</cite>, and begins—</p> - -<p class="quote">"We regret to have to state that a desperate affray took place on - Wednesday morning, between three and four o'clock, on the beach - in front of Gover's Cottage, about two miles to the eastward of - Hastings, when two men were killed on the part of the smugglers, - and one of the blockade so severely beaten that his life is - despaired of, having his arm broken in two places and five or six - cuts in his head. Another man stationed near to him was very much - knocked about, but was able to give evidence at the inquest.... - William Rixon, ex-seaman, belonging to the <i>Hyperion</i>, was on - duty on the beach about three o'clock in the morning of Wednesday - last, near Gover's Cottage. A sloop showed a light about two - miles from the shore, and about ten minutes after a boat left - her, which was making for the shore. As soon as she came near he - could see three men pulling, and one man in the stern steering. - He went up under the cliff, and saw thirty or forty men with - sticks nine or ten feet long; they looked like soldiers with - muskets. So soon as he hailed them, another party, which he had - not seen before, ran to attack the two men who were on duty near - him. The first party which he had seen threatened his life, and - said if he would not fire they would not hurt him; but if he - fired they would cut his throat. He immediately fired his musket - for assistance; did not recollect which way he fired; he might - have fired in the direction in which the men stood. They sprang - on him; about a dozen handled him, struck him on the side of the - head with sticks, which forced him to the ground and stunned - him, after which he was senseless for <span class="pagenum"><a id="page313" name="page313"></a>(p. 313)</span> some time; and, as - he was recovering, they struck him again. Some of his comrades - came to his assistance. After the men left him, he found he had - been dragged a considerable way up the cliff. They had torn his - clothes in trying to disarm him. He then went down to the boat - and stood by her until his officer came down and seized her. The - smugglers took his pistols and musket from him. The musket had - since been found, the pistols had not; they were all loaded with - ball cartridge. The duty imposed upon him, in case of the attempt - to land contraband goods, was to resist to the utmost of his - power. He fired as a signal for assistance. The men were on the - cliff rather above him. He fired once before he was knocked down; - but afterwards discharged four or five pieces as signals for - assistance. The men went down to the boat to take the goods out. - He could hear them run up and down the beach as the people laid - on him. There were ninety-three tubs in the boat."</p> - -<p>The verdict was <em>justifiable homicide</em>.</p> - -<p>The next is quoted from the <cite>Kent Herald</cite>—</p> - -<p class="quote">"On Wednesday sen'night, about nine o'clock, a desperate attack - was made by a party of smugglers on the person of Lieutenant - Ross, the officer in command of the Dover Station Blockade - Service. The object of the smugglers was to prevent any - interference in the landing of a large quantity of contraband - goods, which was taking place not far off, and successfully - accomplished, with the loss of only one bale of silk left in the - boat, which was afterwards captured. Lieutenant Ross was savagely - beaten by five or six of the smugglers, under the very windows of - the magistrates, on the Marine Parade, some of whose servants, we - understand, looked on the affray without offering the least - assistance. At length, the servant of Sir Hussey Vivian coming - up, the fellows made off, and Lieutenant Ross discharged his - pistol after them, the ball from which passed through the window - of a house opposite, but fortunately without injury to any of the - inmates. It is quite time that an ample reduction of duty on - foreign articles should put an end to the 'giant evil' of - smuggling—nothing else can stop it; and, until it is done, the - demoralization and irregular habits of the lower class will - necessarily increase."</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page314" name="page314"></a>(p. 314)</span> The third case is taken from the <cite>Western Times</cite>, and has -rather a comic side to it—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Hoax on Lord Rolle.</span></p> - - <p>"A few days since notices were sent to Lord Rolle that Mr. Swing - was in his neighbourhood; that on a given night there would be - farmhouses pulled down, ricks of corn burnt, and - threshing-machines destroyed; that the labourers would assemble - in organized masses; in fact, the neighbourhood of Bicton would - be subject to Swing law. Lord Rolle very wisely received this - advice with proper caution. All the Preventive Service men from - Salterton and Exmouth, and all the crew of the cutter in the - harbour were summoned to Bicton, where a large quantity of beef - and good cheer was provided. The Preventive men ate the Baron's - beef, and all seemed to enjoy the good cheer of the evening, - which was kept up with great hilarity. On that very night a large - quantity of brandy was landed on the coast. It is suspected that - one or two of the smugglers got themselves sworn in as special - constables, and enjoyed the baronial munificence, as spies, for - the purpose of keeping the Preventive men quiet, while their - companions were running, undisturbed, their cargo on the beach."</p> -</div> - -<p>But this was peddling work compared with that reported in the <cite>Times</cite> -of August 15, 1831—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Great Seizure of Silks.</span></p> - - <p>"Information was a short time ago received by His Majesty's Board - of Customs that it was contemplated to smuggle a very large - quantity of silks, and the necessary steps were taken to - counteract the efforts of the adventurers, who were, we - understand, men of high repute for extensive dealings in the - trade. The movements of certain parties were watched both by land - and by water, in the neighbourhood of the metropolis, and in - several seaport towns. At length Mr. Donne, an officer of the - Customs, who was for some time occupied in the search, received - information in the early part of last week that a lodgment of the - expected property had been effected in the city of London, at - the houses of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page315" name="page315"></a>(p. 315)</span> some of the first people in the trade. It - was not, however, stated that the leading men in the - establishments were aware that the goods were contraband.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Donne despatched, after having ascertained beyond a doubt - that the silks had been warehoused without the payment of the - duty, three officers of the Excise to three houses, one of which - is in Newgate Street, another in a lane near Cheapside, and the - third in a court in Fleet Street. At three o'clock each of these - officers contrived to lay his hands upon silks of a very valuable - description, upon which the duty had never been paid. The value - of the seizure is estimated at not less than £10,000. It had been - thought proper by the purchasers in the first house to take in a - little brandy, without going through the usual ceremony of paying - the duty, and two kegs of very fine Cognac were found on the - premises and carried off by the officers, along with the more - valuable goods.</p> - - <p>"The silks were, it has been ascertained, smuggled from France; - but no clue has as yet been found as to the manner in which they - had been landed. They were packed up with great care in - twenty-four large cases, which were evidently made in this - country, and are such as Manchester goods are usually packed in. - Upon being taken to the King's warehouses they were unpacked and - examined. The gauzes are of a most beautiful kind. The officers - will have the whole of the profits arising from this enormous - seizure, the King having some time ago, as appears from the Order - of the Lords of the Treasury issued at the commencement of his - reign, given up all claim to any advantages arising from seizures - of this description."</p> -</div> - -<p>We are afterwards told in the <cite>Times</cite> of December 16, 1831, that the -culprits were Messrs. Leaf, Cole and Co., in Old Change, and</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"According to the information laid before the Commissioners of - the Customs, the mode of proceeding seems to have been this:—the - steam vessel from Calais which brought the goods, arriving - generally after night had set in, and the navigation of the Pool - hazardous, was moored at some spot lower down than its place of - destination, thus deferring the making the entries at the Custom - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page316" name="page316"></a>(p. 316)</span> House until the following morning. A waterman, who was - regularly employed with a barge on the river, was engaged by the - parties to lie off the steam vessel, which he was only to - approach on a signal previously concerted. He then received on - board his barge various packages, which he secured by locking up - in the cabin. Consultations were held at the time when the first - of these transactions took place, upon the mode of taking these - packages ashore least likely to excite suspicion. After various - plans were proposed, the expedient was resorted to of using wine - hampers, which were landed at one of the stairs in Thames Street, - and carried by porters to the warehouses for which they were - intended. Another waterman, in addition to the first, was - associated in these transactions, and both of them, if the case - had proceeded, were to have been witnesses on the part of the - Crown. It is not a little remarkable that these men were led to - tell all they knew in the business through some advantage taken - of them, as they conceived, in paying them for a smaller number - of parcels than they had delivered.</p> - - <p>"After two or three of these transactions had been completed, it - began to be considered no longer safe to land the parcels within - the precincts of the City; but a place higher up the river, near - Battersea, was resorted to; and, as in this case the distance was - much more considerable, the goods were carried home in carts. At - length, when the number of transactions had amounted to ten or - twelve, the bargemen seemed to have thought the affair ripe for - exposure, and determined on making it. They gave information of - the most precise kind respecting a landing intended to take - place, in the beginning of August last, at the Battersea station. - Persons were employed in different places for the purpose, and a - cart was watched from and to a warehouse in the City belonging to - Leaf and Co., at the door of which the goods were seized by a - proper officer, and notice of it was given to Mr. Leaf, who - happened to be at home at the time. They were afterwards taken to - the Custom House. The total valuation of the goods taken on this - occasion was something under £700.</p> - - <p>"A few days afterwards information was given to the same officer - that great bustle existed in the warehouse above-mentioned, and - that persons were engaged there in packing up and removing a - quantity of goods in a great hurry. These goods were traced to - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page317" name="page317"></a>(p. 317)</span> three different places, and seized as foreign, and not - having paid the duty. On examining the packages, they were found - to be filled up in a most slovenly manner, through haste, and so - as to damage some of the goods—gauze ribands, for example. The - whole were returned into the Exchequer, appraised at £5460, - exclusive of the duty, and were claimed by the parties whose - property they were, on the ground, either that they were British, - or that they had actually paid the duty as foreign. They also - brought actions for damages against all the officers concerned in - the seizure of the goods."</p> -</div> - -<p>There seems to be some grounds in believing this to be the fact, for -Messrs. Leaf and Co. complained loudly that they were not allowed to -prove that they had actually paid duty on the three sets of packages -which had been removed to the shops of their friends after the seizure -of August 5th; but seeing the danger of contending farther with a -public board, they compounded for the whole transaction for a fine of -£20,000.</p> - -<p>Here is another case from the <cite>Times</cite> of January 19, 1832, coming -originally from the <cite>Kentish Herald</cite>—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Margate Smuggling.</span></p> - - <p>"An extraordinary discovery has been made here, in the last week, - by the officers of the Custom House, which shows the persevering - and enterprising spirit of the smugglers. The officers went to - search a house in the occupation of a man named Cook, at the back - of Lion Place, near the Fort in Margate, and discovered in a room - below a secret entrance, just large enough to admit a man - crawling upon his knees. The officers proceeded downwards upon an - inclined plane towards the seashore, to the distance of about two - hundred yards, passing under several houses at the depth of many - feet below the surface of the ground, until they reached the - lower entrance, which opens on the north-west side of the Clifton - Baths. The mouth of this entrance was boarded over and covered - with chalk and earth, rammed down in such a manner as to conceal - it completely. There were found, in <span class="pagenum"><a id="page318" name="page318"></a>(p. 318)</span> the interior of the - cliff, several trucks on wheels and implements for the conveyance - of smuggled goods through the tunnel to Cook's house. The work, - which it is calculated must have engaged two men at least - eighteen months in cutting it, and must have cost, in labour, - from £100 to £200, was just finished, and is reported to have - been paid for by a great silk mercer and riband merchant in - London.</p> - - <p>"It is fortunate for the Revenue, as well as for the silk trade, - that such a discovery has been made, as the whole plan of - operation was so well projected that, whilst the hide remained - only known to the smugglers, they might at any time, on dark - nights, in the short space of an hour, have smuggled many - thousand pounds' worth of property and carried it off in safety. - It is whispered among the sailors on the pier that, if the - officers had not been a little too eager in the pursuit, they - might, within a week, when the dark nights came on again, have - made an immense seizure; but that now they have entirely defeated - their own object, because not a vestige of any contraband article - was yet to be found upon the premises. This is the second - subterraneous tunnel which has been dug under the same property - within two years, and the second time of the officers being - defeated by their eagerness to grasp so large a prize. It is but - justice to the lessee of this singularly constructed property to - say that not the least suspicion is entertained by the Revenue - Officers of any connivance on his part, he having given them - duplicate keys of the subterraneous excavations and baths, during - the winter months when the property lies unoccupied, and - cautioned them that, unless some of the Revenue Officers were - stationed on the premises throughout the night, it was impossible - to prevent smuggling."</p> -</div> - -<p>At Hastings, on February 21, 1832, a party of smugglers attempted to -run a cargo near St. Leonards. The Excise heard of it, and a desperate -affray was the consequence; the Revenue men secured the boat and one -hundred and sixty tubs of spirits, but at the expense of their lives; -one was killed and two mortally wounded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page319" name="page319"></a>(p. 319)</span> A good idea of the extensive smuggling which was carried on -at this time may be gained from the following paragraphs, which appear -in one column of the <cite>Times</cite> of February 13, 1832.</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Smuggling.</span></p> - - <p>"The examination of the eight smugglers that were captured by the - <i>Vigilant</i> Revenue cutter on the 1st and 4th inst., took place - before the magistrates at Chatham, on Wednesday last; and, being - found guilty of a breach of the revenue laws, were convicted, - and, being disposed of, the cutter sailed for her station on - Thursday. On the following day she made another seizure of 142 - half ankers of foreign spirits, which were delivered to the - Customs at Rochester, on Saturday. This seizure is the fourth - that has been brought by the <i>Vigilant</i> into this port within - twelve days, each seizure being the work of a separate cruise; - that is, the cutter sailed to sea, made the capture, and returned - to the port—the time including the cutter's detention for the - trial of the smugglers.</p> - - <p>"Smuggling has recently become much more prevalent on the coasts - of Hampshire and Sussex than it has been for some months. This is - to be ascribed, we are told, to the almost total absence of - cruisers in the Channel. If so, where are our Revenue cruisers, - or, what are they doing? If the country can afford to employ but - few vessels, these few should be well-disposed and kept actively - at work.</p> - - <p>"The <i>Mary</i> smack, of twenty tons, with two men belonging to this - port, was seized in this harbour on Friday, by Mr. Morgan of the - coastguard, having a false bottom containing sixty-three half - ankers, fifty quarter ankers, and fourteen jars of spirits, with - four canisters of tea, regularly built outside her original - bottom, and executed in such a complete manner that it would have - been impossible to have discovered it but by information, which - we understood was received from the Board."</p> -</div> - -<p>From the <cite>Brighton Herald</cite>, June 16, 1832—</p> - -<p class="quote">"A large and most valuable seizure was made at the port of - Shoreham, by the officers of the coastguard, on the morning of - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page320" name="page320"></a>(p. 320)</span> the 13th inst. This great prize to the captors consisted - of a ketch-rigged vessel of about sixty tons burden, called the - <i>New Speedwell</i>, of Portsmouth, the boat belonging to her, a - large barge or lighter, which was brought alongside the vessel, - and into which a portion of the goods were unshipped, three men, - being the master and crew; together with 238 bales of tobacco - stalks for the purpose of being manufactured into snuff, weighing - about 1300 lbs.; 27 bales of leaf tobacco weighing about 1100 - lbs.; 35 bales of tobacco stalk flour weighing about 1000 lbs., - and 1 box containing 23 lbs. of cigars, the value of which, it is - said, is estimated at upwards of £3000."</p> - -<p>The <cite>Chelmsford Chronicle</cite>, quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of May 4, 1833, is -responsible for the following:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Capture of a Smuggler.</span></p> - - <p>"A seizure, more valuable than has been made in this and the - adjacent counties for many years, was effected in the Crouch - river in the course of last week. Captain Dodd, master of the - coal brig <i>Nancy</i>, of Newcastle, sold his pretended cargo of coal - to a merchant with whom he had frequently traded, and was - proceeding up the river to his destination, when the brig was - boarded by Mr. Read, chief boatman of the Crouch guard station, - who, observing something unusual in the conduct of the master, - and that he left the vessel in an abrupt manner, his suspicions - were excited, and he immediately set about an inspection, which - led to a most important discovery. The coals at the top were - found to be but a thin covering to a cargo of contraband goods, - which, with the brig and crew, were immediately taken possession - of and brought round to Collier's reach, where the cargo is now - unloading; but, the coals being so mixed with the smuggled goods, - present considerable difficulties, as it is calculated that there - are five hundred packages of spirits and dried goods. Those - already landed and safely deposited at the Custom House at - Maldon, some of which were found secreted even in the fore and - maintops, and consisting of spirits and tobacco, are estimated to - be worth £1500; and it is expected that the whole cargo, with the - brig itself, will bring from £3000 to £5000."</p> -</div> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page321" name="page321"></a>(p. 321)</span> CHAPTER XXIX.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Legitimate trade — The "truck" system — Its downfall — State of - trade — Newspaper stamps — Steel pens — Literature — List of - authors — Painters — Sculptors.</p> - -<p>But enough of illicit trade. What was legitimate trade doing? The -marvellous expansion which afterwards came, thanks to steam as applied -to machinery, railways, and shipping, had only just commenced; but, at -all events, a beginning had been made, and, thanks to her iron and -coal, England was able for many a long year to head the race for -commerce, hold her own with foreign competition, and even to defy it. -The Trades' Unions, which have not altogether been an unmixed -blessing, were still in their infancy, and in many trades the "truck" -system of paying the workers in kind rather than coin was the rule. It -was the payment of labour in goods or provisions instead of money; and -the mode in which it was carried on by the manufacturers was to set up -a large shop or store (commonly called a "Tommy shop"), containing all -sorts of necessaries for their workmen, so that, instead of paying -them money for their wages, tickets were given to these shops; or, in -other instances, periodical visits to them were <span class="pagenum"><a id="page322" name="page322"></a>(p. 322)</span> allowed to -the mechanic or his wife, and they chose those things they were most -in need of. Under these circumstances money was very seldom, or, -rather, never paid; for, though parties to evade the law gave the -money to their workmen, yet, before they left the premises, it was all -received back again.</p> - -<p>These "Tommy shops" were generally kept by some relation or servant of -the master, put in for that purpose; or, when the tradesman did not -resort to such measures on his own account, he made an arrangement -with the retailer, who allowed him a discount. And the more needy the -manufacturer, the greater his advantage under this system; for he was -enabled to stock his shop for three months, and then pay for that -stock with a bill at another three months; so that, instead of paying -his workmen ready money, he was obtaining six months' credit. Again, -without saying that there was a regular contract amongst the masters, -it was always an understood thing that a man discharged for objecting -to this system should not be taken on by any other employer. And, -indeed, this naturally followed; for, when once it was known that a -man had lost his employment by objecting to this mode of payment, it -was not likely that another master, who paid in exactly the same way, -would give him employment.</p> - -<p>And the poor fellows had to pay through the nose for all they had. The -milder "truck-masters" were content to charge their men from 15 to 20 -per cent. more than the market price, while those <span class="pagenum"><a id="page323" name="page323"></a>(p. 323)</span> unburdened -with a conscience, exacted 100 per cent. profit; nor would they allow -their men to keep pigs. This state of things was well known, and leave -was applied for and given in December, 1830, to bring a Bill into -Parliament to do away with the truck system, and make it penal. On -October 15, 1831, this received the Royal sanction, and the Act was -afterwards known as 1 and 2 Gul. IV. c. 36, "An Act to repeal several -Acts and parts of Acts prohibiting the Payment of Wages in Goods, or -otherwise than in the current Coin of the Realm." And another (same, -c. 37), in which it was settled that all wages must be paid to the -workman in coin, and payment in goods was declared illegal; that -artificers might recover, by law, wages, if not paid in current coin, -and that no employer should have any action against his artificer for -goods supplied to him on account of wages; whilst, if the artificer, -or his wife or children, became chargeable to the parish, the -overseers may recover any wages earned within the three preceding -months, and not paid in cash. That contracts between master and man as -to the payment of the whole or part of wages in goods should be -illegal, and for the first offence the employer should be fined not -less than £5, nor more than £10; for the second, not less than £10, -nor more than £20; and for the third he was to be fined, at the -discretion of the Court, a sum not exceeding £100.</p> - -<p>On May 26, 1826, the Royal sanction was given to an Act which -virtually destroyed the monopoly of <span class="pagenum"><a id="page324" name="page324"></a>(p. 324)</span> the Bank of England, and -laid the foundation of the present Joint Stock Banks, or rather what -they were before they took advantage of limited liability. It is 7 -Geo. IV. c. 46, and is entitled, "An Act for the better regulating -co-partnerships of certain bankers in England." But it does not seem -to have been acted on in London, at all events till 1833, when we have -advertisements soliciting subscriptions to the London and Westminster -Bank, the Imperial Bank of London, and the National Provincial Bank of -England. The London and Westminster Bank was established March, 1834; -the National Provincial Bank of England in 1833; the National Bank in -1835; the London Joint Stock Bank in 1836; as also the Commercial Bank -of London and the London and County Bank; whilst in 1837 was started -the Union Bank of Australia.</p> - -<p>When William IV. died, the trade of the country was in a very -depressed state, as we learn by the <cite>Annual Register</cite>, June 13, 1837, -which quotes from the following papers:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"We are sorry to say that trade in this district continues in a - very depressed state; and the consequence is, a scarcity of - employment and low wages for the operatives, amongst whom, we - regret to observe, distress prevails to a most deplorable - extent."—<cite>Manchester Courier.</cite></p> - - <p>"At Manchester it is stated there are fifty thousand hands out of - employ, and most of the large establishments are working only - half-time. At Wigan, which is not a large place, there are four - thousand weavers totally unable to get work. Unless a stimulus is - shortly given to commerce, persons who have the means of forming - the most correct opinion say that half a million of hands - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page325" name="page325"></a>(p. 325)</span> at least will be idle in the manufacturing districts in - the very worst time of the year."—<cite>Morning Chronicle.</cite></p> - - <p>"The pressure upon manufacturers and commerce has at last reached - our county. Within a short time several extensive failures in the - 'How of Fife,' along the Leven, as well as in the towns upon the - coast, have taken place."—<cite>Fifeshire Journal.</cite></p> - - <p>"A meeting convened by the circular of several gentlemen was held - on Friday, at the Public Office, for the purpose of considering - what measures could be adopted sufficient to relieve the present - appalling state of commercial distress. At this meeting it was - universally admitted that the number of unemployed workmen, and - the consequent distress which prevails, call for the adoption of - prompt and efficient measures; and resolutions were passed - expressive of the deep sympathy felt by the meeting for their - suffering fellow-townsmen and their families."—<cite>Birmingham - Journal.</cite></p> - - <p>"We regret that we cannot announce any improvement in the trade - of this town. There has been one failure of a respectable lace - concern since our last. The number of operatives employed by - public subscription on the roads is nearly a thousand. The Relief - Committee, after anxious deliberation, came to the decision on - Monday evening that, in future, the wages allowed could be only - 8s. a week on day work."—<cite>Nottingham Review.</cite></p> -</div> - -<p>When William IV. came to the throne the stamp duty on newspapers was -4<i>d.</i>, less 20 per cent. discount, and the price of the <cite>Times</cite> was -7<i>d.</i> Each advertisement had to pay a duty of 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> The -consequence of the newspaper stamp being so high was that leaflets -were perpetually being started which bore no stamp, as it was -contended that they contained no news. Still the vendors were always -being haled before the magistrates; but the publication of these -vexatious leaflets was settled in May, 1831, in the case of <i>Rex</i> v. -<i>William Carpenter</i>, which came off in the Court <span class="pagenum"><a id="page326" name="page326"></a>(p. 326)</span> of -Exchequer, before the Lord Chief Baron. The Crown obtained the -verdict, and Mr. Carpenter was let off very cheaply, by being fined -only £120. The duty on newspapers brought in a large revenue. In 1830, -30,158,741 stamps were issued, and in 1835, 32,874,652; but in 1836 -the duty was reduced to 1<i>d.</i> per newspaper, and 1/2<i>d.</i> for each -supplement; and the <cite>Times</cite> on September 15, 1836, reduced its price -to 4<i>d.</i> Of the number of newspapers I have already written.</p> - -<p>Many lived by the pen, whether quill or steel. In 1830, although not a -novelty, steel pens were dear, as we see by an advertisement in the -<cite>Times</cite> of October 18th—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">Pen-mending totally superseded.</span>—Patent Perryian Pens, warranted - not to require mending, and to write better than any other pen - whatever, as cheap as the common pen. Price per packet - (containing nine pens of the best quality), 3<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>"</p> - -<p>In 1837 they had got somewhat cheaper, <i lang="la">vide</i> <cite>Times</cite>, March 23rd—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">Perryian Pens</span>, protected by five patents.—Double patent pen, - with holder, 2<i>s.</i> per card; Indiarubber spring pen, 2<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i> - ditto; office pen, 1<i>s.</i> ditto. Any of the above, with patent - elastic holder, at 3<i>d.</i> extra per card. Under-spring pen, with - holder, 2<i>s.</i> per card; side-spring pen, 2<i>s.</i> ditto; flat-spring - pen, 2<i>s.</i> ditto; three-pointed pen, 2<i>s.</i> 3<i>d.</i> ditto. Each card - contains nine pens."</p> - -<p>This reign saw the commencement of cheap, good literature, which was -to overrun the country and utterly abolish the chap book, which till -then had been the literary mainstay of the country folk. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page327" name="page327"></a>(p. 327)</span> The -year in which this transformation began was 1832, for then were -published for the first time <cite>The Penny Magazine</cite>, and <cite>Chambers' -Edinburgh Journal</cite>; whilst, during the reign, were published all kinds -of books, from the watered-silk-bound annuals, such as the <cite>Gem</cite>, the -<cite>Offering</cite>, the <cite>Bijou</cite>, the <cite>Remembrancer</cite>, the <cite>Coronal</cite>, the -<cite>Iris</cite>, or the <cite>Bouquet</cite>, to abstruse scientific books—for it was, to -a certain extent, a book-reading age, and people bought and kept their -favourite authors.</p> - -<p>Of authors, what a lot there was! The following does not pretend to be -exhaustive, but it will serve to give an idea of those who lived or -wrote during the time when William IV. was King. Let us take them -alphabetically. John Adolphus, who wrote the <cite>History of the Reign of -George III.</cite>, etc. W. H. Ainsworth, the novelist, who brought out -<cite>Rookwood</cite> in 1834. Sir Archibald Alison, to whom we are indebted for -his <cite>History of England</cite>. T. K. Arnold, headmaster of Rugby. John -Banim, whom we remember by the <cite>Tales by the O'Hara Family</cite>. Rev. R. -H. Barham, whose <cite>Ingoldsby Legends</cite> came out with the starting of -<cite>Bentley's Miscellany</cite> in 1837. The lyric poet, Thomas H. Bayly, whose -<cite>I'd be a Butterfly</cite>, <cite>She wore a wreath of Roses</cite>, and <cite>Oh no, we -never mention her</cite>, are classics in ballad song. Laman Blanchard, who -was a contributor to the lighter periodicals of his day. George -Borrow, who during the reign was an agent of the British and Foreign -Bible Society—to which we owe his <cite>Bible in Spain</cite>. <span class="pagenum"><a id="page328" name="page328"></a>(p. 328)</span> The -Rev. Jos. Bosworth, to whom we are indebted for his <cite>Anglo-Saxon -Grammar</cite> and <cite>Dictionary</cite>, etc. The Very Rev. W. Buckland, Dean of -Westminster, famous for his writings on Geology and Palæontology. -Bulwer-Lytton, who published <cite>Paul Clifford</cite> in 1830, <cite>Eugene Aram</cite> -and <cite>Godolphin</cite> in 1833, <cite>The Pilgrims of the Rhine</cite> and <cite>The Last -Days of Pompeii</cite> in 1834, and <cite>Rienzi</cite> in 1835. Thos. Campbell, poet, -author of <cite>Pleasures of Hope</cite>, <cite>Gertrude of Wyoming</cite>, <cite>Lord Ullin's -Daughter</cite>, etc. Thos. Carlyle, who came to London in 1834, and then -wrote and re-wrote his <cite>French Revolution</cite>, which was published in -1837. Captain F. Chamier, R.N., whose sea tales are only surpassed by -Marryat. T. C. Croker, to whom we are indebted for <cite>The Fairy Tales -and Legends of the South of Ireland</cite>. Dr. Croly, who will be chiefly -remembered by his <cite>Salathiel</cite>. Allan Cunningham, whose <cite>Songs of -Scotland</cite> will always live. His son Peter, who wrote <cite>Songs of England -and Scotland</cite>, and, among many other books, a <cite>Handbook of London</cite>, -which is most valuable. De Quincey, whose <cite>Confessions of an Opium -Eater</cite> is an English classic. Thos. Dibdin—son of Charles, of -sea-song fame—who was a most voluminous playwright. Charles Dickens, -who published <cite>The Pickwick Papers</cite> in 1836. Isaac D'Israeli, who had -almost written his last book. His son Benjamin, who was then beginning -to make a political name. Dr. Doran, who in this reign published his -<cite>History and Antiquities of the Town and Borough of Reading</cite>. Pierce -Egan, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page329" name="page329"></a>(p. 329)</span> of <cite>Boxiana</cite> and <cite>Life in London</cite> notoriety. Grote, the -historian, was alive, but devoted himself more to his parliamentary -duties than to writing history. Then, too, flourished S. C. Hall and -his wife, the latter of whom will doubtless live longest in -remembrance. William Hone, whatever may be thought of his politics, -etc., has given us a mine of folk and archæological lore. If genial -Thomas Hood had never written anything but the <cite>Bridge of Sighs</cite> and -the <cite>Song of the Shirt</cite>, he would have made his name; but, happily, he -will be the source of wholesome laughter to future generations. -Theodore Hook, too, novelist and dramatist, will live in his <cite>Jack -Brag</cite>. William and Mary Howitt are names not likely to be lost. -Douglas Jerrold, dramatist, novelist, and humourist, seems almost of -to-day. The Rev. John Keble will live for ever in his <cite>Christian -Year</cite>. Charles Knight, with his <cite>Penny Magazine</cite> and <cite>Penny -Cyclopædia</cite>, did much to popularize cheap and wholesome literature. -James Sheridan Knowles, dramatist, produced his play of <cite>The -Hunchback</cite> in 1832, and <cite>The Love Chase</cite> in 1837, both classics in the -drama. Walter Savage Landor wrote several books during this reign. Of -Mark Lemon, who was "indispensable to <cite>Punch</cite>" nothing need be -said—every one remembers his name. The same may be said of Charles -James Lever, the novelist, whose <cite>Harry Lorrequer</cite>, <cite>Jack Hinton</cite>, -etc., are so well known. Students will reverence the name of John -Lingard, the Roman <span class="pagenum"><a id="page330" name="page330"></a>(p. 330)</span> Catholic historian; and botanists are -familiar with the writings of John Claudius Loudon and his wife. The -<cite>Handy Andy</cite> of Samuel Lover, novelist, poet, musician, and artist, -though probably written in this reign, was not published until 1838. -Thomas Babington Macaulay, so well known as an historian, was in India -from 1834 to 1838. To mention the name of Captain F. Marryat is to -kindle a thrill in every English boy's breast. Samuel Maunder, whose -<cite>Treasuries</cite> were text books in their day, and still are very useful. -John Stuart Mill, of <cite>Political Economy</cite> memory, was during this reign -writing for magazines, when he was not editing the <cite>Westminster -Review</cite>. Thomas Moore, poet and musician, brought out in 1834 a -complete edition of his <cite>Irish Melodies</cite>, which were commenced in -1807. Sir Francis Palgrave produced in 1831 his <cite>History of England, -Anglo-Saxon Period</cite>, and was knighted the following year. J. R. -Planché published in 1834 <cite>The History of British Costume</cite> for The -Library of <cite>Entertaining Knowledge</cite>. A. W. N. Pugin, the revivalist of -mediæval architecture, wrote thereon, in 1836, <cite>Contrasts; a parallel -between the noble edifices of the 14th and 15th Centuries and the -Present Day</cite>. <cite>Table Talk</cite> Rogers was getting an old man; and Robert -Southey was Poet Laureate with, in 1834, a pension of £300 per annum. -The "bitter Bengalee," W. M. Thackeray, came of age in 1832, and his -first regular literary employment was for <cite>Fraser's Magazine</cite>, -wherein <cite>The History of Samuel Titmarsh, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page331" name="page331"></a>(p. 331)</span> and The Great -Hoggarty Diamond</cite> appeared during 1837-38. Nor, in this list, must be -forgotten painstaking John Timbs, whose works are indispensable for -reference. John Wilson, perhaps better known as Christopher North, -contributed his celebrated <cite>Noctes Ambrosinæ</cite> to <cite>Blackwood's -Magazine</cite> up to 1835; in which year Wordsworth published his <cite>Yarrow -revisited</cite>.</p> - -<p>Nor must we omit mention of the fair sex in their literary work. Mrs. -Sarah Austin, who produced two of her famous translations in this -reign—viz. <cite>A Tour in England, Ireland, and France by a German -Prince</cite> (1832), and <cite>Raumer's England in 1835</cite>, in 1836; in which year -Joanna Baillie published three volumes of dramas. In 1836, also, Mrs. -Bray brought out her <cite>Borders of the Tamar and the Tavy</cite>. The Brontës -were too young to write, but were young women. E. M. Barrett Browning -produced her first acknowledged work, a translation of <cite>Prometheus -Bound</cite>, and some of her early poems in 1835. Maria Edgeworth was -getting too old to write; and Mrs. Gaskell had not commenced. Mrs. -Jameson published her first book in 1831—<cite>Memoirs of Female -Sovereigns</cite>, and, in 1837, <cite>Sketches of Germany</cite>. Letitia Elizabeth -Landon (L. E. L.) wrote her best prose work, <cite>Ethel Churchill</cite>, in -1836. Miss Mitford published a fifth series of <cite>Our Village</cite> in 1832. -Hannah More died in 1833. Lady Morgan, <cite>The Wild Irish Girl</cite>, was -writing, and making money by it. The Hon. Mrs. Norton, who <span class="pagenum"><a id="page332" name="page332"></a>(p. 332)</span> -let all the world know her grievances, brought out her poem of the -<cite>Undying One</cite> in 1831, and her novel of <cite>Stuart of Dunleath</cite> in 1835. -Miss Jane Porter produced, in 1831, what was probably her best work, -<cite>Sir Edward Seaward's Diary</cite>, which was frequently mistaken, at the -time, for genuine history. And last, though not least, Miss Agnes -Strickland published the <cite>Pilgrims of Walsingham</cite> in 1835.</p> - -<p>I had almost forgotten; which would have been inexcusable, that Sir -Walter Scott died in September, 1832.</p> - -<p>The New British School of Art was just commencing. The National -Collection of pictures was commenced in 1824, and in 1832 Parliament -voted £15,000 to build a gallery for their reception. The Royal -Academy of Arts, instituted in 1768, held their annual exhibition of -pictures, up to 1836, at Somerset House, but in 1837 they removed to -the new National Gallery. There were, besides, exhibitions of -paintings held by the Society of British Artists, the Society of -Painters in Water Colours, and the New Society of ditto. In May, 1834, -there was an Exhibition of the works of the Old Masters; and in 1832 -Haydon held an exhibition of his own pictures.</p> - -<p>The following is an attempt at a list of the principal British artists -of the reign.</p> - -<p>Sir Wm. Allan, P.R.S.A. and R.A.; Sir Wm. Beechey, R.A.; Wm. Boxall; -Sir A. W. Callcott, R.A.; G. Cattermole; A. E. Chalon, R.A., and -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page333" name="page333"></a>(p. 333)</span> J. J. Chalon, A.; Geo. Chambers; J. Constable, R.A.; E. W. -Cooks, R.A.; A. Cooper, R.A.; T. S. Cooper; D. Cox; T. Creswick; F. -Danby; P. De Wint; W. Dyce; Sir C. Eastlake, R.A.; A. L. Egg, R.A.; A. -Elmore; Wm. Etty, R.A.; A. V. C. Fielding; Sir F. Grant, R.A.; L. -Haaghe; J. D. Harding; Sol. A. Hart, R.A.; B. R. Haydon; Sir Geo. -Hayter; J. R. Herbert; J. F. Herring; Wm. Hilton, R.A.; Wm. Hunt; G. -Lance; Chas. and Edwin Landseer; C. R. Leslie, R.A.; J. F. Lewis, -R.A.; J. Linnell; D. Maclise, R.A.; J. Martin; W. Mulready, R.A.; Jos. -Nash; Alex. Nasmyth; T. Phillips, R.A.; H. W. Pickersgill, R.A.; P. F. -Poole; W. H. and J. B. Pyne; R. R. Reinagle, R.A.; Sir M. A. Shee, -P.R.A.; W. C. Stanfield; T. Stodhard, R.A.; F. Stone; G. Stubbs; J. M. -W. Turner, R.A.; J. Varley; J. Ward, R.A.; Rd. Westall, R.A.; Wm. -Westall, A.; and Sir D. Wilkie, R.A.</p> - -<p>Among illustrators of books were H. K. Browne (<i>Phiz</i>), George -Cruikshank, John Doyle (H.B.), John Leech, Kenny Meadows, and John -Tenniel.</p> - -<p>Engravers numbered amongst them E. F. and W. Finden, R. Graves, -A.R.A., William Holl, and Thomas Landseer.</p> - -<p>There was a glorious list of sculptors: W. Behnes, Sir F. Chantrey, -R.A., J. H. Foley, R.A., John Gibson, R.A., John Hogan, T. -Thornicroft, Henry Weekes, R.A., Sir R. Westmacott, and his son -Richard, and M. C. Wyatt, while akin to sculpture comes William Wyon, -R.A., medallist.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page334" name="page334"></a>(p. 334)</span> CHAPTER XXX.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Musicians — Paganini — His avarice — Ole Bull — Curious musical - instruments — Jim Crow — The opera and its singers — The - ballet — Actors, etc. — Madame Vestris's leg.</p> - -<p>In music we had, as composers, Balfe, who is more honoured abroad than -at home, John Barnett, Julius Benedict, W. Sterndale Bennett, Sir -Henry Bishop, Michael Costa, J. B. Cramer, Moscheles, Sir George -Smart, and Vincent Wallace. As English singers, Braham and Phillips, -Madame Carodori Allan, Madame Anna Bishop, Miss Stephens, Clara -Novello, Adelaide Kemble, and Miss Paton.</p> - -<p>In 1831 Paganini came to England, and gave his first concert on June -3rd at the King's Theatre. He began badly—he raised the prices, and -the people would not stand it, and he only gave way at the last -moment, as we see by the following letter in the <cite>Times</cite> of June 2nd, -addressed to the editor.</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Sir</span>,</p> - - <p>"The evening of my first concert in the King's Theatre is now so - near, that I feel the duty of announcing it myself, to implore - the favour of the English nation, which honours the arts as much - as I respect it.</p> - - <p>"Accustomed, in all the nations of the Continent, to double the - ordinary prices of the theatres where I have given my concerts, - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page335" name="page335"></a>(p. 335)</span> and little instructed in the customs of this capital, in - which I present myself for the first time, I did believe that I - could do the same; but, informed by many of the journals that the - prices already established there are higher than those on the - Continent, and having myself seen that the observation was just, - I second, willingly, the desire of a public, the esteem and good - will of which I ambition as my first recompense.</p> - -<p class="signa">"<span class="smcap">Paganini.</span>"</p> -</div> - -<p>As it was, the prices were high enough. The boxes the same as on opera -night, orchestra and stalls, £1 1<i>s.</i>; pit, 10<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>; gallery, -5<i>s.</i></p> - -<p>His avarice was notorious, as noted in the following verses, which -appeared in <cite>The Original</cite> of July 28, 1832.</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">A Note of Enquiry, addressed to Paganini.</span></p> - -<p>"Grant me reply, great Fiddler, to a word<br /> - Of question by my sympathy preferr'd;<br /> - <span class="add3em">Ah! do not fail:—</span><br /> - This wound that dooms thy fiddle to be dumb,<br /> - <em>Which</em> part of thy extraordinary thumb<br /> - <span class="add3em">Doth it assail?</span><br /> - Doth it at side, or joint, its mischief make?<br /> - Or is it, like the money thou dost take,<br /> - <span class="add3em"><em>Down on the nail</em>?"</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>In a notice of his first concert, the <cite>Times</cite> says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"The personal appearance of Paganini is remarkable. He is a tall, - thin man, with features rather emaciated, pale complexion, a - sharp, aquiline nose, and a keen eye, the expression of which is - greatly heightened when he is animated by his performance. His - hair, which is dark, is worn long behind, and combed off the - forehead and temples, in a manner which gives an air of great - simplicity to his countenance. He seems to be about fifty years - of age.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page336" name="page336"></a>(p. 336)</span> "The enthusiasm which his performance excited last night - among the audience certainly surpassed anything of the kind - within these walls. Every <i lang="fr">tour de force</i> and striking passage - was not only applauded, but cheered by the whole audience, and - some of the variations were encored. At the end of every - performance, and especially after the last, the applause, - cheering, and waving of handkerchiefs and hats, altogether - presented a most extraordinary scene. Foreigners, who have been - present at his concerts in several other parts of Europe, - remarked that the applause bestowed, and the enthusiasm excited - last night, were greater than they had ever witnessed before."</p> -</div> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img336.jpg" width="300" height="318" alt="" title="Paganini." /> -</div> - -<p>The King gave him a diamond ring, and money rolled in to him. His -prices were high, and he always insisted upon being paid before he -would perform. Here is an example (<cite>Times</cite>, December 8, 1831)—</p> - -<p class="quote">"<span class="smcap">Brighton.</span> December 6th.—Some sensation has been excited at - Brighton by a circumstance relative to Paganini. Mr. Gutteridge, - it appears, had engaged the Signor to play at the theatre for one - night, at the moderate sum of 200 guineas. As the theatre, - however, when crammed almost to suffocation, would only produce - about £200, and, after paying Paganini and other expenses, he - would have had to disburse nearly £300, Mr. Gutteridge was, of - course, compelled to raise the prices. It was, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page337" name="page337"></a>(p. 337)</span> - therefore, announced that the prices of the boxes and pit would - be doubled, and the admission to the gallery increased to 4s. The - announcement of the intended increase of prices caused - considerable dissatisfaction in Brighton, and placards were, - yesterday, posted on the Steine, calling upon the public to - resist the extortion, and threatening, if the prices were raised, - to make of Brighton another Bristol. Mr. Gutteridge, having - obtained one of the placards, went to the magistrates to ask for - protection against the threatened outrage, and a promise was, of - course, made to him of the assistance of the police."</p> - -<p>In November, 1833, a Mr. Freeman sued Paganini for thirty guineas, -alleged to be due to him for his services as interpreter and agent, -and in the course of the trial it came out that Paganini had amassed -£30,000 in England alone.</p> - -<p>His rival, the celebrated Norwegian violinist, Ole Bull, came over -here in 1836, and gave his first concert at the King's Theatre on May -21st of that year, and the criticism upon his performance was that -"the applause he received was unbounded, as little forced, and as -sincere as any we have ever heard." He stayed in England a year.</p> - -<p>It is said that "there is but one step from the sublime to the -ridiculous," and, musically, that seems to be from Paganini and Ole -Bull to Eulenstein, the performer on the Jew's harp, who was here in -the autumn of 1833. In a biographical account of him we find that he -was of humble origin, and born in Wurtemberg.</p> - -<p class="quote">"He went to Stutgard, and received a command to appear before the - queen. Pursuing his travels, he visited Paris, with five pounds - in his pocket, and five hundred in his imagination. Here <span class="pagenum"><a id="page338" name="page338"></a>(p. 338)</span> - he found no means of making himself known, and sunk gradually - into penury; when Mr. Stockhausen took him by the hand, and - procured him introductions to the highest circles. From France he - came to England, but, upon his arrival, unfortunately, he - received a 'patronizing invitation' to play at a rout at the - Marchioness of Salisbury's. A French horn would have been more - appropriate there than the delicate Jew's harp. The gay party - saw, indeed, a man in a corner doing something, and making wry - faces over it, they heard no sound, and wondered what it was. - Eulenstein, shocked and mortified, determined to leave England, - and was about to set off for the Continent, when the Duke of - Gordon kindly patronized him, procured a command from the late - King to play in his presence, and, in short, may be considered to - be the architect of his promising fortune."</p> - -<p>The accordion was a new and fashionable instrument, and there was in -1836 a musical instrument called an "Æolophone," which I fancy must -have been a kind of Æolian harp; and in 1837 there was an awful thing -called the "Eidophusion," whilst, all during the reign, a composite -instrument, called the "Apollonicon," was performed on daily at 101, -St. Martin's Lane.</p> - -<p>Whilst on the subject of music in England, I must not omit to mention -the commencement of a peculiar school, which since has attained large -dimensions—I mean the "nigger" songs, of which the first was sung in -1836 by an actor named T. D. Rice, who introduced it at the Adelphi, -in a play called "A Flight to America." Although very silly stuff, it -became the rage, and I reproduce it because it was the first of its -kind. It will be noted that the nigger costume was not of that -exaggerated and complex character into which it has now developed.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<span class="pagenum"><a id="page339" name="page339"></a>(p. 339)</span> -<img src="images/img339.jpg" width="300" height="415" alt="" title="Jim Crow." /> -<p class="center smcap">Jim Crow.</p> -</div> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> - <p>"I cam from ole Kentucky,<br /> - <span class="add1em">A long time ago,</span><br /> - Where first I larn to wheel about,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And jump Jim Crow.</span><br /> - <span class="add2em"><i>Chorus.</i> Wheel about, and turn about,</span><br /> - <span class="add7em">And do jis so,</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Eb'ry time I wheel about,</span><br /> - <span class="add7em">I jump Jim Crow.</span></p> - - <p>"I us'd to take him fiddle,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Eb'ry morn and afternoon,</span><br /> - And charm the ole Buzzard,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And dance to the Racoon.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"I landed fust at Liverpool,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Dat place of ships and docks,</span><br /> - I strutted down Lord Street,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And ask'd de price of stocks.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page340" name="page340"></a>(p. 340)</span> "I paid my fare den up to Town,<br /> - <span class="add1em">On de coach to cut a dash,</span><br /> - De axletree soon gave way,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And spilt us wid a smash.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"I lighted den upon my head,<br /> - <span class="add1em">All in de nassy dirt,</span><br /> - Dey all thought dat I war dead,<br /> - <span class="add1em">But I laughed and wasn't hurt.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"Dis head, you know, am pretty tick,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Cause dere it make a hole,</span><br /> - On de dam macadamis road,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Much bigger dan a bowl.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"When I got into Lunnon,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Dey took me for a savage,</span><br /> - But I was pretty well behaved,<br /> - <span class="add1em">So I 'gaged with Massa Davidge.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"Dem young Jim Crows about de streets,<br /> - <span class="add1em">More like a Raven rader,</span><br /> - Pray good people don't mistake,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Indeed, I'm not dere fader.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc.</span></p> - - <p>"Dem urchins what sing my song,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Had better mind dar books,</span><br /> - For anyhow dey can't be Crows,<br /> - <span class="add1em">You see d'ar only Rooks.</span><br /> - <span class="add6em">Wheel about, etc."</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p>For some reason or other this buffoonery became a perfect rage; there -were Jim Crow hats, Jim Crow coats, neckerchiefs, etc.; nay, it even -was made use of in political satire.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page341" name="page341"></a>(p. 341)</span> There were frequently two opera companies singing at the same -time; one German, of not much account, the other Italian, which -included names which are historical in the musical world. Among the -men were Garcia, Lablache, Rubini, and Tamburini, and among the ladies -were Albertazzi, Garcia, Grisi, Malibran (who died in 1836), and -Pasta. And they were well paid, as we see from an extract from the -<cite>Town</cite>, quoted in the <cite>Times</cite> of May 20, 1833—</p> - -<div class="quote"> -<p class="center">"<span class="smcap">Opera Charges.</span></p> - - <p>"The following sums are paid nightly to the performers at the - King's Theatre: Pasta, £200, Taglioni, £120, Rubini, £100, - Tamburini, £100, Donzelli, £50, Zuchelli, £50. Madame Pasta will - receive £3500 for the season; and the amount payable to the - principal characters alone, on the rising of the curtain, is - above £1000."</p> -</div> - -<p>The <i lang="fr">premières danseuses</i> were Taglioni, the two Elslers, Carlotta -Grisi, and Duvernay, who married a country banker, Mr. Lyne Stephens, -and who died enormously rich, either late in 1894 or early in 1895, -when her collection pictures, etc., were sold at Christie's, and -fetched fabulous prices. A great male dancer was Perrot.</p> - -<p>It is an easy transition from opera to the drama, and among actors we -find the names of Paul Bedford, J. B. Buckstone, T. P. Cooke, A. -Ducrow, W. Farren, J. P. Harley, Chas. J. Kean, R. Keeley, C. Kemble, -J. Liston, W. C. Macready, John Parry, J. Phelps, J. Reeve, J. -Vandenhoff, B. Webster, F. H. Yates, and C. M. Young. Among actresses -I may mention <span class="pagenum"><a id="page342" name="page342"></a>(p. 342)</span> Madame Celeste, Mrs. Glover, Mrs. Honey, Fanny -Kemble, Mrs. Nisbet, Miss Ellen Tree (afterwards Mrs. Chas. Kean), -Miss Vandenhoff, and Madame Vestris.</p> - -<p>During this reign died several veterans of the stage. In 1831 died -Mrs. Siddons and Elliston; in 1832, Munden; in 1833, Edmund Kean; in -1836, Richardson, the showman; and in 1837, the famous clown, Joey -Grimaldi.</p> - -<p>There were besides two names not to be forgotten, not belonging to -professors of the legitimate drama, but yet worthy in their way to be -chronicled—namely, Charles Matthews, who died in 1835, famous for his -"At Home," and his "Monopolylogue," and "Love, the Polyphonist."</p> - -<p>There was a curious police case in 1831, <i>re</i> a curious subject—no -less than Madame Vestris's leg; and the following is a portion of the -case as reported in the <cite>Times</cite> of January 21st:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"<span class="smcap">Marlborough Street.</span>—A young man was brought into this office a - few days ago, charged with stealing and disposing of, on his own - account, and for his own use, the casts of several figures in - plaster of Paris and other compositions, the property of Mr. - Papera, the celebrated Italian modeller, in whose service the - prisoner lived as journeyman, and the offence charged being - clearly supported by evidence, the young man was fully committed - for trial.</p> - - <p>"Yesterday Mr. Papera applied again to the sitting magistrate, - for advice how to act in a case in which he had to charge the - young man in prison with an offence of much more enormous nature - than that for which he had been committed to take his trial.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page343" name="page343"></a>(p. 343)</span> "Since the investigation of the former case, Mr. Papera - said, he had discovered that several of 'Madame Vestris's legs' - were exhibited for sale in the shop windows of various artists - about town, and on an inspection of these legs, he immediately - recognized them as his property, and they must have been stolen - from his premises by the prisoner and sold by him.</p> - - <p>"The magistrate inquired what sort of legs they were?</p> - - <p>"Mr. Papera said they were casts of Madame Vestris's leg to a - little above the knee and including the foot.</p> - - <p>"The magistrate asked if such casts could not have been made by - other artists, so as to render it difficult for Mr. Papera to - identify them as belonging to him.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Papera said it was impossible these casts could have been - made by any other artist, because he was the only person to whom - Madame Vestris had ever 'stood' to have a cast taken of her leg, - and from that cast he had made one mould or model, and only one, - and that was always kept with the greatest care under lock and - key, except when required to be used in his model room, so that - no person could possibly obtain access to it, except some one in - his employ; and, as for any attempt at imitation, that was - impossible to do with success, for so beautiful and perfect was - the symmetry of the original, that it was from it alone the - various natural niceties of the complete whole could be acquired - and to perfection formed.</p> - - <p>"The magistrate asked Mr. Papera if he kept these legs ready made - in his establishment, and if in that state they were stolen by - the prisoner?</p> - - <p>"Mr. Papera said no; they were too rare and valuable an article - to be kept ready made in the ordinary way of common shop legs, - and were only made to 'order'—that is, when especially ordered - by artists or amateurs."</p> -</div> - -<p>On February 22nd the young man was tried at the Old Bailey and -acquitted.</p> -</div> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page344" name="page344"></a>(p. 344)</span> CHAPTER XXXI.</h2> - -<p class="resume">Architects and civil engineers — Men of science — Scientific - societies — Medical men — Lawyers — "Tracts for the Times" — Curates' - pay — Flogging in the army and navy — Crime — Transportation - <i lang="la">versus</i> hulks — Stories of convicts.</p> - -<p>This was a reign in which both architecture and civil engineering were -nascent, and yet there were some famous men in both professions. Among -the former were Sir Chas. Barry, R.A., J. P. Deering, R.A., P. -Hardwick, R.A., Sir Robert Smirke and Sydney Smirke, both R.A.'s, Sir -John Soane, and Sir William Tite. Whilst among civil engineers we may -note G. P. Bidder, once the famous calculating boy, both the Brunels, -Sir W. Fairbairn, Sir John Rennie, and both the Stephensons; and, as a -mechanical engineer, Joseph Whitworth was preparing the mathematical -exactness of the tools which enabled England to hold her own, and -more, against the whole world in the manufacture of machinery.</p> - -<p>Of the men of science there is a fine list. Sir David Brewster, C. R. -Darwin, M. Faraday, Sir John F. W. Herschel, and his wonderful aunt -Caroline, Sir W. J. Hooker, to whom botany owes so much, as does -geology to Sir Charles Lyell, and Sir J. Murchison, <span class="pagenum"><a id="page345" name="page345"></a>(p. 345)</span> Mrs. -Somerville, whose scientific attainments were marvellous, and W. H. -Fox Talbot, by whom photography was much developed, though still in -its infancy. In chemistry, we have Ure, Brande and Herapath.</p> - -<p>The scientific societies inaugurated in this reign are as follows: in -1831, Royal Dublin Society, Harveian Society, British Association; in -1832, British Medical Association; 1833, Entomological Society; 1834, -Statistical Society; 1837, Ornithological Society. In mechanical -science both the gas engine and Ericson's caloric engine were known, -the air-gun and limelight were novelties, and the hydro-oxygen -microscope was a source of wonder to thousands.</p> - -<p>A fine list, too, is to be found of medical men. Richard Bright, Sir -B. Brodie, Sir R. Christison, Sir C. M. Clarke, Sir William Fergusson, -Sir W. Laurence and Sir Charles Locock. Homeopathy was only just -beginning to be talked about at the end of the reign.</p> - -<p>There were some fine lawyers, Lord Abinger, Baron Alderson, Lord -Brougham, Isaac Butt, Thomas Chitty, Sir A. J. E. Cockburn, Sir J. T. -Coleridge, Lord Denman, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Lord Lyndhurst, and Sir -Frederick Thesiger, afterwards Lord Chelmsford.</p> - -<p>Among the higher dignitaries of the Church of England in this reign -were very few men of note,—all good men, doubtless; but, since the -Wesleyan <span class="pagenum"><a id="page346" name="page346"></a>(p. 346)</span> revival, the Church had been getting a wee bit -sleepy, and wanted waking up. And it was woke up with a vengeance, -when a conference of some Anglican clergymen and others was held at -Hadleigh, July 25-29, 1833, and Oriel College may be said to be its -birthplace, for at that College were Keble, Pusey, Newman, and Froude. -From the tracts which were issued, exemplifying the views of these -writers, the movement obtained the name of Tractarian. The first tract -proper appeared September 9, 1833, and by November, 1835, seventy had -appeared; and at first they were almost universally welcomed, for they -carefully respected the Prayer-book, and defended the rights of the -clergy. But the Evangelical party became alarmed at this growing -popular movement, and, in the early part of Queen Victoria's reign, -the strife waxed fast and furious, which only infused wakefulness and -life into a somewhat dormant church, and has ended, as far as our time -go, in the establishment of a so-called "High Church" form of worship, -which would have utterly astonished the originators of the movement. -True, some few good men left the Church of England, and joined that of -Rome, but their secession only served as warnings to others, and the -Church of England is now firmer established than ever it was.</p> - -<p>A Clergy Act had been passed, enjoining that a curate's pay should in -no case be less than £80 per annum; and that such salary should not be -less than £100 per annum in any parish or place where the <span class="pagenum"><a id="page347" name="page347"></a>(p. 347)</span> -population, according to the last parliamentary returns, should amount -to three hundred persons; where the population should amount to five -hundred, the salary was not to be less than £120, and £150 if the -population amounts to a thousand. This Act was much needed, as the -following figures show. Six curates received under £20; 59 under £30; -173 under £40; 441 under £50; 892 under £60; 300 under £70; 415 under -£80; 458 under £90; 156 under £100; 500 under £110; 69 under £120; 207 -under £130; 52 under £140; 32 under £150; 162 under £160; 26 under -£170; 15 under £180; 5 under £190; 3 under £200; 17 under £210; 2 -under £220; 2 under £240; 3 under £250; 4 under £260; 1 under £290; 2 -under £310; 1 under £320, and 1 under £340. There were forty-three who -received the full income of the benefices they served. Two received -one half of the income, and one was paid two guineas each Sunday.</p> - -<p>The army and navy had very few opportunities of distinguishing -themselves; they had a well-earned rest after 1815, but they were slow -in doing away with the old bad practices in force in both services. -For instance, flogging is still in force for some offences in the -navy, by the regulations issued on December 18, 1871. Abolition of -flogging in the army, at all events in time of peace, was advocated in -Parliament in 1836, but came to nought; this was, however, done in -April, 1868, and altogether abolished in April, 1881.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page348" name="page348"></a>(p. 348)</span> What flogging in the army was like, we may see by the -following police report, taken from the <cite>Times</cite> of May 18, 1833:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"<span class="smcap">Mansion House.</span>—Yesterday, a soldier, named George M'Willen, - aged twenty-one years, was brought before the Lord Mayor, charged - by a soldier with having deserted from the 77th Regiment.</p> - - <p>"William Rogers, a private in the army, stated that the prisoner - had admitted to him that he had deserted from his regiment.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor (to the prisoner): Did you acknowledge that you - deserted?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: Yes, my lord, but not till he told me I was a - deserter; I was not quite such a fool.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Why did you desert from your regiment?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: Because I was tired of flogging. I am only twenty-one - years of age, and I have received nine hundred lashes. (Here were - some expressions of surprise and disgust.)</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Did I hear you rightly? Did you say nine hundred - lashes?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: No doubt of it, my lord.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Hobler: It is impossible, if you received nine hundred - lashes, you can stand up so straight.</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: I received them all, and I can show the marks. It is - true I received them at different times; but I've had them all.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: And what have you been doing with yourself since - you deserted?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: I have been mining in Cornwall. I thought it would be - the best way of getting out of danger by going underground.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: And why didn't you stay in Cornwall? Why did you - come to London?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: I don't know why I left Cornwall; but I was looking - for work when I was taken up for deserting. I am able for any - sort of labour.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Why were you flogged?</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page349" name="page349"></a>(p. 349)</span> "Prisoner: I'd rather not say anything about that; I - shall soon have to answer again.</p> - - <p>"Mr. Hobler: You unfortunate fellow, you must have been a great - violator of discipline, or you could not have been so dreadfully - punished.</p> - - <p>"The Prisoner (shaking his head): I've had my share.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: Tell me, are you a sober man?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: No, my lord; I can't say I am.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: By how many Courts Martial have you been tried?</p> - - <p>"Prisoner: By four. In Belfast I was sentenced to receive 500 - lashes, but they only gave me 300; they forgave me 200. In - Londonderry they gave me 250. He mentioned two other places, in - one of which he received 200, and in the other 150. He had - deserted eight months ago, and had been a miner ever since, and - the very first day he ventured to town he was apprehended.</p> - - <p>"The Lord Mayor: You must be incorrigible, or you would never - have been so dreadfully punished. I cannot help committing you."</p> -</div> - -<p>In <cite>Arnold's Magazine</cite> for September, 1833, a writer, speaking of -flogging in the navy, says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"I saw two men who were tried for desertion, and their sentence - was to receive 500 lashes round the fleet. There is, perhaps, - nothing on the face of the earth so revolting to human nature, as - this most brutal of all outrages upon the feelings of gallant - tars under such a sentence. The day the man is to be punished is - known by the admiral making a general signal to copy orders. A - midshipman from each ship goes on board the admiral's ship with a - book, and copies the order, which states that, at a certain hour, - on such a day, a boat, manned and armed, is to be sent from the - ship from which the man is sentenced to be punished. On the day - appointed, the signal is made from the admiral, for the fleet to - draw into a line. The hands are then turned up in each ship, and - every officer appears with his cocked hat and sidearms, and the - marines are drawn up in the gangway, with muskets and fixed - bayonets.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page350" name="page350"></a>(p. 350)</span> "The ship launch to which the delinquent belongs is - hoisted out, and rigged up for the bloody tragedy. In this boat - are two boatswain's mates, with their cats, together with the - surgeon and master-at-arms. The poor creature is now taken out of - irons, in which he has been confined both before and after his - sentence, and brought down from the deck into the boat. The - master-at-arms next desires the mates to tie him up; he is then - stripped, and a blanket thrown over his shoulders. The boats of - each ship then make their painters fast, one ahead of the other, - and thus form a long line of boats. The captain now looks over - the gangway, the master-at-arms reads the infernal sentence, and - the quantity of lashes the victim is to receive at each ship. The - captain calls the boatswain's mate, and says, 'Go on, sir, and do - your duty.'</p> - - <p>"The blanket is now removed from the shoulders of the poor - fellow, and then commences the fiend-like exhibition. After the - victim has received one dozen, the captain tells the other - boatswain's mate to commence, and after the poor fellow has - received the next dozen the blanket is again thrown over his - shoulders, and the boats tow the launch alongside the next ship, - the drummer and fifer playing the Rogue's March. The same - ceremony is repeated from ship to ship, until the surgeon - pronounces that the man can receive no more without endangering - life; and woe be to the tyrant who dares to inflict one lash more - after the surgeon has spoken. I must here remark that I never - knew an instance of a surgeon in the navy being a tyrant; on the - contrary, both he and his assistants are always respected for - their tender regard for the sick under their care. After this - degrading and cruel punishment the man is again towed to his ship - and helped on board; he is next sent into the sick-bay, his back - anointed in order to heal it, and, in case he has not received - all his punishment, to enable him again to be tortured. When a - man has been flogged round the fleet he is of no further service, - his muscles are contracted, and he is no longer an able man."</p> -</div> - -<p>Luckily there was no need for impressment to fill the navy, but it was -legal, as it still is.</p> - -<p>But most things were rougher and more brutal <span class="pagenum"><a id="page351" name="page351"></a>(p. 351)</span> than nowadays, -and nowhere was it better exemplified than in criminal punishment. -Hanging was the punishment for many offences, but there was such a -growing disinclination on the part of jurors to convict, and so many -recommendations to mercy on the part of judges, that it was about time -to modify our criminal legislature. Something must be done with the -criminals, and they must be punished somehow. It was very certain that -hanging was no deterrent to crime, which was so rampant that the gaols -in England would have been utterly unable to hold the convicts. There -was the alternative of sending them to colonize and be servants in -that vast Australian continent, of which we then knew so little; or -there was the employment of old men-of-war, called "hulks," as -floating prisons, in which the prisoners were confined at night, -working in the daytime on shore, in the dockyards, or elsewhere. These -"hulks" were verily floating hells, but they had the merit over -transportation, of economy, as we may see in a short leader in the -<cite>Times</cite> of July 19, 1830:—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Some useful papers have been printed by order of the House of - Commons, exhibiting by a clear and distinct table the difference - of expense attendant on the transport of convicts to New South - Wales, as compared with the cost of their retention and - employment on board of hulks in this country and in Bermuda.</p> - - <p>"By a return for the years 1820 to 1829 inclusive, it appears - that, deducting from the gross expense the sums earned by the - labour of the convict, the cost of feeding, clothing, and - maintaining each individual, together with that of the - establishment, and of repairing the hulks, did not, in the course - of last year, exceed £3 17<i>s.</i> 4-3/4<i>d.</i> per man.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page352" name="page352"></a>(p. 352)</span> "The expense of transporting convicts to New South Wales - presents a very unfavourable view of that method of treatment, - miscalled punishment, as compared with detention and hard labour - on board the hulks. The official returns of 1828 give, for the - charge of carrying out each male, £26 18<i>s.</i> 6<i>d.</i>; for each - female, £34 8<i>s.</i> 6-3/4<i>d.</i> In 1829, for each male, £25 15<i>s.</i> - 9-3/4<i>d.</i>; for each female, £27 12<i>s.</i> 6-1/4<i>d.</i>"</p> -</div> - -<p>At that time Australia, Van Dieman's Land, and the Cape of Good Hope, -were so sparsely populated by Europeans, that the introduction of -criminal scum could not very well prejudice anything but the criminal -colonies themselves. Once there, they were irrevocably fixed until -their sentence was expired, and returning before that time was -punishable by death, until August, 1834, when an Act of Parliament was -passed (5 Gul. IV. c. 67) which reduced the penalty to transportation -for life.</p> - -<p>But if the vicious and criminal were transported, so occasionally were -the good and innocent, and one case is specially pregnant; it occurs -in a letter in the <cite>Times</cite> of May 1, 1833—</p> - -<p class="quote">"Sophia Hallen, a gentlewoman by birth, after having been - detained in prison for several years on an execution obtained in - an action at law by an attorney for the amount of his bill of - costs for £100, was put upon her trial at the Clerkenwell - Sessions on Thursday last, and sentenced to seven years - transportation beyond the seas, for refusing, in effect, to give - up her little property to discharge the debt of this person, who - is her only real creditor; who, it is alleged by her, has acted - improperly in not following the instructions of his client, in - the first instance; in subsequently holding back material - documents, and in rendering a false account in not giving credit - for money he had received, and which have had the effect in - making the defendant, evidently a strong-minded <span class="pagenum"><a id="page353" name="page353"></a>(p. 353)</span> woman, - obstinately refuse to do any act whereby the prosecutor may - obtain payment of his demand."</p> - -<p>If we want to know how the system of transportation worked, a glance -through the pages of "The Felonry of New South Wales," by Jas. Mudie, -Lond., 1837, gives us details hardly to be found elsewhere. Talking -about assigning servants, how husbands were assigned to wives, etc., -and then became practically free, he says—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"To such a pitch has this system arrived, that the streets of - Sydney are, literally, almost as crowded with carriages of every - class as Cheapside, or the Strand, in London; carriages not only - conveying, but being the property of emancipists, and convicts - assigned to their wives.</p> - - <p>"A London thief, of any notoriety, after having been a short time - in Sydney, would scorn to place himself or his assignee wife in - so mean a vehicle as a gig; nothing less than a carriage and pair - is commensurate with the rank in felonry to which they have - arisen in Australia.</p> - - <p>"A better idea of the effect of all this upon a stranger cannot - be conveyed than by the following anecdote of an officer who - visited New South Wales on leave of absence from his regiment in - India.</p> - - <p>"Having gone with a friend in a gig from Sydney to the races at - Paramatta, they were passed on the road by many genteel - equipages, including close carriages, curricles, and landaus.</p> - - <p>"In answer to the stranger's questions, his companion informed - him that one brilliant 'set out' belonged to Sam Such-a-one, who - had been a convict, but was now a free man and a man of fortune; - that another was the property of a convict who kept a draper's - shop in Sydney, but was assigned to his wife, who had brought out - with her a large sum of money; that a third belonged to a - ticket-of-leave man, who had obtained that indulgence almost - immediately after his arrival in the colony—and so on.</p> - - <p>"At the racecourse, where all the 'beauty and fashion' of - <span class="pagenum"><a id="page354" name="page354"></a>(p. 354)</span> felonry was assembled, the stranger's astonishment was - complete at the number of instances in which he obtained similar - answers.</p> - - <p>"After some graver reflections on so singular an exhibition, he - ironically remarked that he thought he had better return as soon - as possible to India for the purpose of there committing some - crime that should subject him to a short sentence of - transportation; for it really seemed to him that that was the - best way of getting on in the world!"</p> -</div> - -<p>His description of the "fine lady convicts" is particularly amusing—</p> - -<div class="quote"> - <p>"Things are differently managed now, and when a transport ship - arrives at Sydney, all the madams on board occupy the few days - which elapse before their landing in preparing to produce the - most dazzling effect at their <em>descent</em> upon the Australian - shores.</p> - - <p>"With rich silk dresses, bonnets <i lang="fr">a la mode</i>, ear pendants three - inches long, gorgeous shawls and splendid veils, silk stockings, - kid gloves, and parasols in hand, dispensing sweet odours from - their profusely perfumed forms, they disembark, and are assigned - as <em>servants</em> and distributed to the expectant settlers.</p> - - <p>"On the very road to their respective places of assignment the - women are told of the easy retirement of the factory, and advised - to get themselves sent there, without having to obtain the - consent of an assignee master.</p> - - <p>"Offers of marriage are made to some of them from the waysides; - and at their new habitations they are besieged by suitors.</p> - - <p>"The hapless settler who expected a <em>servant</em>, able, or, at - least, willing to act perhaps as house and dairymaid, finds he - has received quite a <em>princess</em>.</p> - - <p>"Her <em>highness</em>, with her gloved and delicate fingers, can do - <em>no</em> sort of work!</p> - - <p>"Attempts are made to break her in, but in vain. 'If you don't - like me, send me to the factory,' is the common retort; and the - master, having no alternative, takes her before a Bench of - magistrates, by whom she is returned to Government, and conveyed - to the factory accordingly.</p> - - <p><span class="pagenum"><a id="page355" name="page355"></a>(p. 355)</span> "The author, amongst the <em>favours</em> of this kind that - have been conferred upon himself, once received a Dulcinea who, - in addition to her other finery, brought such a cargo of hair, - tooth and nail brushes, Macassar and other hair oils, otto of - roses and botanical creams, cosmetics and scented soaps, that she - might have commenced as a dealer in perfumery. She would have - spent half her time at her toilette, and the rest in playing off - the airs of a fine lady! She was quite indignant at not being - allowed an exclusive dressing-room; and the more so as the <em>dear</em> - doctor, during the passage, had considered her much too delicate - to endure any sort of hardship, and had been so kind and - considerate as to insist upon her using two kinds of tooth brush, - lest the hardness of that first applied should injure the enamel - of her teeth!"</p> -</div> - -<p>The colonies at last rebelled against having the criminals of England -imported, certainly not to their benefit, and were successful, the -Cape in 1849, and Australia generally in 1864; but a shipment of -convicts was made to West Australia as late as 1867.</p> - -<p>Taken altogether, crime, in this reign, was much the same as in any -other, excepting the offences of Burkeing and body-snatching, for the -sake of providing the anatomical schools with subjects—details of -which are too loathsome to read—and the crimes themselves have now no -existence.</p> - -<div class="figcenter"> -<img src="images/img355.jpg" width="300" height="257" alt="" title="Decoration." /> -</div> - -</div> - - - -<h2><span class="pagenum"><a id="page356" name="page356"></a>(p. 356)</span> BY THE SAME AUTHOR.</h2> - -<ul class="none"> - <li>A Ballade of the Scottyshe King.</li> - <li>Chap Books of the Eighteenth Century.</li> - <li>Social Life in the Reign of Queen Anne.</li> - <li>The Adventures of Captain John Smith.</li> - <li>Humour, Wit, and Satire of the Seventeenth Century.</li> - <li>English Caricature and Satire on Napoleon First.</li> - <li>Old Times.</li> - <li>The Dawn of the Nineteenth Century.</li> - <li>The Voiage and Travayle of Sir John Maundeville.</li> - <li>A Century of Ballads.</li> - <li>The Fleet, its River, Prison, and Marriages.</li> - <li>The Legendary History of the Cross.</li> - <li>Men, Maidens, and Manners a Hundred Years Ago.</li> - <li>Romances of Chivalry.</li> - <li>Modern Street Ballads.</li> - <li>Curious Creatures in Zoology.</li> - <li>Social England under the Regency.</li> - <li>Eighteenth Century Waifs.</li> - <li>Drinks of the World.</li> - <li>The Poetical Works of Thomas Hood.</li> - <li>Charles Letts's Date Book and Chronological Diary.</li> - <li>Lord Mayor's Show in the Olden Time.</li> - <li>Real Sailor Songs.</li> - <li>"Varia."</li> - <li>History of the Lottery in England.</li> - <li>Cassell's Social Life in England (<i>partly</i>).</li> - <li>A Righte Merrie Christmasse!</li> - <li>Hyde Park from Domesday Book to Date.</li> - <li>When William IV. was King.</li> -</ul> - -<p class="p4 center smcap">PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, LIMITED, LONDON AND BECCLES.</p> - -<h2>Notes</h2> - -<p><a id="footnote1" name="footnote1"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag1">1</a></b>: The "Greville Memoirs," edit. 1875, vol. ii. p. 23.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote2" name="footnote2"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag2">2</a></b>: Now on exhibition at Madame Tussaud's Waxworks show.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote3" name="footnote3"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag3">3</a></b>: "The Greville Memoirs," vol. ii. edit. 1875.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote4" name="footnote4"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag4">4</a></b>: Wellington.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote5" name="footnote5"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag5">5</a></b>: <cite>Times</cite>, July 12th.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote6" name="footnote6"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag6">6</a></b>: Louis Philippe.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote7" name="footnote7"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag7">7</a></b>: This engine may now be seen in the Patent Museum, -South Kensington.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote8" name="footnote8"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag8">8</a></b>: <cite>Times</cite>, September 7, 1831, p. 3, col. 1.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote9" name="footnote9"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag9">9</a></b>: Defacing an old Great Seal is a very perfunctory -performance. The two halves are slightly tapped with a hammer, and the -seal is, by a fiction, supposed to be so defaced as to be incapable of -being used again.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote10" name="footnote10"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag10">10</a></b>: I cannot reconcile these dates. The King prorogued -Parliament on October 20th, whilst there is no doubt that the attack -on Apsley House took place on the 11th, for it is mentioned in the -parliamentary reports of the 12th.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote11" name="footnote11"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag11">11</a></b>: Glegg's "Life of Wellington," edit. 1864, p. 375.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote12" name="footnote12"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag12">12</a></b>: His personal property was sworn under £200,000, but -his real estate amounted to £150,000 more.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote13" name="footnote13"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag13">13</a></b>: Gronow probably intimates the time when the interior was -redecorated in 1849, and opened for the Military, Naval, and County -Service, but was closed again in 1851.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote14" name="footnote14"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag14">14</a></b>: See Sir C. Hanbury Williams' Poems.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote15" name="footnote15"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag15">15</a></b>: This, luckily, was not the case, as it is still in -keeping at the House of Lords.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote16" name="footnote16"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag16">16</a></b>: Academia Artis Pictoriæ Noribergæ, p. 274.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote17" name="footnote17"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag17">17</a></b>: Sir Robert Peel.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote18" name="footnote18"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag18">18</a></b>: The King.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote19" name="footnote19"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag19">19</a></b>: The first boat race between the two Universities was on -June 10th, 1829, from Hambledon Lock to Henley. Oxford won by five or -six lengths.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote20" name="footnote20"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag20">20</a></b>: A debate on church rates, in which the majority was -only five.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote21" name="footnote21"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag21">21</a></b>: Now in the National Gallery: bought by the trustees from -the late Sir Robert Peel.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote22" name="footnote22"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag22">22</a></b>: Tom Hood notices this steam carriage in his poem of -"Conveyancing"—</p> - -<div class="center_poem"> -<div class="poem"> - <p>"Instead of <em>journeys</em>, people now<br /> - <span class="add1em">May go upon a <em>Gurney</em>,</span><br /> - With steam to do the horses' work,<br /> - <span class="add1em">By <em>powers of attorney</em>;</span></p> - - <p>Tho' with a load, it may explode,<br /> - <span class="add1em">And you may all be <em>un</em>done!</span><br /> - And find you're going <em>up to heaven</em>,<br /> - <span class="add1em">Instead of <em>up to London</em>."</span></p> -</div> -</div> - -<p><a id="footnote23" name="footnote23"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag23">23</a></b>: As applied to tailors, "cabbage" means the remnants of -cloth stolen in making up garments. The "goose" is the large iron used -for pressing seams, etc.</p> - -<p><a id="footnote24" name="footnote24"></a> -<b><a href="#footnotetag24">24</a></b>: The reader can find others in the <cite>Times</cite> of March 18, -1833; February 1, and November 2, 1836; and February 9, 1837.</p> - -<h2>Transcriber's note.</h2> - -<p class="tn">Obvious printer's errors have been corrected, all -other inconsistencies are as in the original. The author's spelling -has been maintained.</p> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's When William IV. Was King, by John Ashton - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK WHEN WILLIAM IV. WAS KING *** - -***** This file should be named 60415-h.htm or 60415-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/4/1/60415/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Christine P. 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