The National Register.
London, England, 1819-10-10 00:00:00

TIIE NORWICH DECL.4aATION.

the loyal of this most wildcats of times,
Who think bb:ming great folks the greatest of crimes.
Do hereby De,.1.1 re onr abhorrence of those
Who've cxidessed their avcrion to murder and blows.

Lary Down, &c.

AVliat though we too:t prudently shrunk from the call
Which bummoned it-lately to meet of the Hall,
Yet now that we're ili,tanc',l the orators. there,
Our opinions (i)o paper) we'll freely &slate.

Here. safe from all dangers, we right kiral
("on bold 1) descant J 1) our own noble achc,,
And, thought not behind column.; St. Andrew's that grace„
In Stevenson'. columns we're lure of a place.

The late " Resolutions" we vote are a shame.
" A proceeding so harsh and 111 timed we di,elitim ;"
In our nature so prieeful, so tiove.like, anti mild,
Wt scorn to resent e'en the death of a child.

We. moreover, cleave, that 'die thing's premature,
For thfiekoh a few lives have been los: to be sure,
Yet for decency'. hake we must always deplore,
That their taste cotik not wait for a few hundreds more

We object to no plan for a qnall Reforma:LAn,
But Itadiatis holu in great übominati.m.
And think that *hat irons may in fairness demand,
Is in thuasands high Lemon, to we untler.tani

As friends of humanity, deep we th.plcre
The blood that is laid to the Manchester Corps,
Yet it is to Mit minds source of great con-olatior,
They had proper advice on this tiyiag occa.ion.
Bald Tamen! our thanks to your Valour is due,
We're panting to share in such glory o ith you;
But, alas! the fo'ks Acre are such stick lers for Lir,
If they meet ne'er so oft, not a sword rirat we 'Lax.

lhen drink to the Iferoes of Peterloo plain,
r: ho at mothers and babes cut and c:1 Sr,' again;
Brave Warriors! your names will in rcro7d h. found,
And boys awl old 9/0113%4 turn pale tit‘ sound..

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10 %HU EDT/ Olt.
St 14-1 feel ezeeedingly unwilling to obtrude myself
upon the public, and, quite as 11111C11 so, II) occupy,
unprofitably, the columns of thy paper, its which the
cause in the labouring ;toot has beets SO much more ably
advocated ; vet I may be perinitted to add to my forme►
communications a few hints, which lilo4l wilt either
give, as coming front me, or if thou more approve of
that moat., incorporate them, in thy genet:l remarks
twos, this most inierestiog subject.
Passing events convince me that " delays are change.
roils," and my regard for that old, but true adage, induces
isle to state; that duty, as well as ',obey, calls upon every
man, who has either mind or money, to use hia influence
for the,.assinsince of those whose situation and circuits-
Stal)Cel.demand it.
There are many who are now, most deservedly, movs •
, ing. in the higher walks of life, who will easily call to
their recollection, that either them elves,. or their pre-
.- &rem's, were indebted to industrious exertions, sup -
prted by the blessings of Providence, upon honest- in-
tendon, of the elevation to which they have attained ;
awl he who can lay his twirl upon his heart, and claim
. such an origin, has indeed a title to greatness, which
• ,Nobility itself may how to with respect.
Impressed with this belief, and. most atixions that
soy suffering fellow men, wherever found, may have
that eid tow high patient, butt unsuccessful exertion, is
at all times entitled, I again call upon the men of in:
fluence, and of information, to lay aside prejudice, and
ascertain lire theuistlver, whether great distress .does, or
, does not prevail, amongst the labouring classes of the
community ?
Their report would be a boon to the country for
. such is the present state of extreme agitation, that what
.. appears in the public papers, reiterated and uncontras
dieted, must necessarily contribute to increase that feel-
ing, and augment that turbulence, and disposition to
complain, which peculiarly marks every succeeding
large assemblage of the people. To ascertain how far
these complaints are well founded or otherwise, would
kbe labour well bestowed, and would greatly tend to
lessen the public anxiety.
It is no uncommon remark, that those who are
loudest in their complaints, are not the people who are
really suffering. Be it so : the complaints of the sufferers
. themselves hive conic before the public, its every possi-
ble shape, and in language at once teinperate„ but firm
stttl tespectful: 4ntl what has ►o far resulted from these
appeals of wreicheditesx? lias not the Saliba listless
apathy left the matter to chance, and the complainants
to distress and disappointment? Shall we then condemn
that sympathetic feeling, which adds dignity to the
human character, and impels every individual of the
great family, to espouse the general cause ? and thus
an ebeilition is every where seen, unheard of at any
former period.
Let the wound be probed, and ascertain its malig-
nity : the cure is neither doubtiul nor distant, if pro-
yerly set about. The private.concerns of every man of
bustuiss regnire arrangement, forecast, and unceasing
attennon, it lie is either to be successful or comfortable;
how much more must the great Miumfacturing System
reituire the united wisdom and experience of those
who are the nwin springs of the gr.-at machine : if its
operations are to proceed with vigour, every subordinate
part of it must be preserved, tit for tbs.:discharge of its
relative functions.

It is by this vigilance, and faithful discharge of duty,
that the prevailtog dissatisfaction is to he removed, and
the thousands who meet to complain, be converted into
_groups of approving and peaceaut subjects.:Theu, indeed,
will the country res ttttt e its wonted cheerfulness; and
whilst plenty rewards the toil pf labour, the distinguish•
tug mark will be--gratitude in the people.
Another collation objection to any public enquiry into
also prevailing distresses and dissatisfaction is, that it
will be /aid hold of as a matter of triumph on the part
of the disattfected, and that concession, under these car•
cunistances, will increase the evil. Tins is only oppos-
ing one opinitni w another; anal as we see what neglect
and 1113llt/i.Litll.o as dare, it would be a mark of wisdom,
at least, to Ott enquiry a fair chance, and see what way
remit tiosii that.

I..have employed my feeble exertions to rouse my
fellow men to efforts suited. to the exigencies of the
moment. that the spectre of whielt we are in fear,
way be brought before us in its just !importat. ;
and, if it should be found that welrave.oonjured up
horrors which do not exist,. the .country will hail the
intelligence nith joy, and deservedly applaud the spirit
and determination which has led to the discovery. But,
it it should be found that, the measure of suffering
amongst the labouring pram has beau gradually ou the
increase, for a series of years, and that it bat at length
reached a point almost beyond endurance, let us not:
lose one moment, but use our most strenuous exertions
to introduce another and better order of things, Let it
urn be said. THAT tasty concession would betray weak-
Hess—call forth Justice and Mercy : and if to permit'
their Maumee be concession, then let emiceiv,ion become
the order of the day,. until we have subdued the prevail-
ing discontents, by removing the heavy burthebs, and
letting the oppressed go free.
ant consumed that, though it may be at variance
with our most reputed theories of political economy,
:es that the experiment of giving to labour a value,
vvti;ch a series of thoughtless and oppressive exactions
base taken ass-ay from it, ought to be made; and if, in
aust'ation of 13irmingliarn, Sheffield, and some other of
Our grtia manufacturing towns where Chambers of
sCosiluerro, or boards of Trade, du exist, similar as-
,aociations Were funned, of the leading and must respect-
able awn. mud that their as awed object should be, not
rsoly the general potteetion of trade, but, most deter-
&hominy to secure to toe operatives, a fair and adequate
remuneration fur their labour, under all the varying cir-
cionistances that neces,ity ur caprice may bring about,
pie us the labourer would know %slime to seek protec-
ao, splust au malicious and
.unfcchue, waster, who

van NATIONAL REGISTER.

might attempt to take aslvan age of his poverty, and I
otter ally other than the general_ and approved prices of
the Jay.

No-one will, 1 think, assert, or can seriously he.
lieve that the present depressed price of labour is either .
essential to the commanding place we hold, as a great
Manufacturing and Commercial Cottutun ty, or at all
conducive to the general interests which are to be sus.
Pained by it. After every thing which can be done in
this way has been attempted, I ant decidedly of the
opinion, that until a considerable portion of the labour
is taken out of the market,• and some profitable wit ity
is given to it, the suptrabundance will perpetually have
the effect of deranging any such plans as have beets
pointed out ; and, therefore, the Waste and Crown
nds, under the sanction of,Guvertunent, must be re-
sorted to. And if the Agricultural Interest should take
the at inn, the cultivation of these lands might,-to a
great extent, be employed in the growth of flax, the
practicability of which has been most satisfactorily proved
by an experiment upon the waste of Dartmoor, on the
part of a highly respectable and philanthropic character,
who has a large track of land there. He is decidedly
convinced, that -upon the :waste land of this Island,
sufficient flax might be grown to render the importation
of German and Russia listen almost entirely superfluous,
and, of course, give employment in manufacturing, to a
large body of our population.
It bus been confidently stated, that within the last
twenty years, at least 120,000 small farms have been
broken up, and converted into large ones • by this mea-
sure, upon a moderate computation, 600,000 persons
have been deprived of their accustomed means of ob-
tai ll itt g a livelihood, and have been driven into the
manufacturing, and other . districts, to seek bread
there.

if to thit-mournful catalogue we add the immense
numbers who hate, since the conclusion of the war,
been also turned iiptei society fur a maintenance, we
shall not wonder at the stiperai lance of labour, which
is on all hands.pression for employment.
It is also well known, that the mercantile, mann-
factoring, and labotuing interests have, for a series of
years, been matte to partake of the general cal- •• .s
with which the country has been visited, to an extreme
degree, -whilst the landed interests, having the special
protection of the Legislature, have been sheltered from
a participation in the publicAturtletis, as is clearly and
satisfacusrily shewn, by the esteem reasoning, 'nil most
interesting ealculatioos, addressed to the •Cbairnian of
the Committee oil the Poor Laws, by a writer who de-
servedly assumed the name of a Briton
Situated as the country is, our grand object is to rally
round the Contlitution, as handed down to its by our
linefathers. To restore its vigour and usefulness, and
preserve the stake we individually lay claim to, every
man is called upon, in the.present emergency, to sacri-
fice to the common cause, in proportion .to the value
and importance of that stake to himself and his fauilly ;
and if we thus contribute to the general aid, from the
highest to the lowest iatik amongst us, the end will be
accomplished. aud.we may again come to feel that hap-
piness and independence are yet to be found in Ohl
England.
Daly let a well organised plan be brought forward,
and the public attention seriously and weightily called
to it, and I am cool:dent that the united wisdom and
patriotism of the country would devise mesas of relief.
The really distressed would be assisted ; and those
whose object is not Reform..but Revolution, would be
punished as the laws direct, and their character held up
to general execration.-
1 beg to subscribe myself thy obliged friend.
DAVID HOLT.
Clterlitnt.Coltage, Mareckester, Sop. 28.