The Sun.
London, England, 1841-01-19 00:00:00

EDI i lON

WALSALL ELECTION.

APro,weed i _ -..-..._._,.........----___
as —. meeting of the electors was held
,on
;41
anursday evening in the Dragon Assembly•room, Na ai -
, to meet Mr. Richard Cobden and other gentlement
rrinta Manchester and Liverpool. Although the mee -
e 4 :1',41 specially convened for electors, we observed a
irr.erT,abl?..number. of non•electors present.
i ; La. I‘ELLY stated they had been favoured with
lityve-naltn,,fro..rn a few friends who. would address them this
Trade° upon a vital and important question— Free
rev Ila - hoped that the utmost harmony would
Pketai,l. tliroughout the meeting, composed, as he ex.-
' sioriN ~it Was, of men of all shades of political °pi-
' It c,; It e had invited every elector to attend
.this
faec-ng, bY note, without regard to any party distinc-
tlie„, 't:ieir sole intent and anxious wish was, to have
I;,":erlts of both candidates, the principles they re-
; sfer—L'elY maintain, fairly and candidly brought be-
e the electors of Walsall, to know the difference,
41:11,,,de ?take their choice: There was nothing would
al I'm greater pleasure than that any friend of
14' Gladstone'should forward and defend that
tttnx,_
n, s come
the
pleasure of seeing
4uni`e7. s principles, excepting • ;,vi.
6,, ,if le the arena, and he hoped that if any mei .
aciale"iding different opinions was present that inch-
sad ..1' would that evening state his argument ent fairly
respectful
tLe 8 IY ; between the two flints he had no doubt
„Park of truth would be elicited.
savir. Watxae,rnerehant, Wolverhampton, then briefly
t'llauir:,Bsed the meeting, and entreated the electors to do
eat) dui to themselves and their country. He earn-
sto:idil?ed. and trusted that at the hour of trial they
atilt.
sotmforreufozdt wanting.
810v:iarthero long., as stepped forward. He would not
he felt desirous that the friends
of
al esent from a distance should have an opportunity
Sadres'ing them at length. But lie felt it necessary
Iothji'?lnething concerning their position that night.
dictated
to by the said the electors of Walsall were
those Nothing
Anti-Corn-law League. He repudiated the
Nothing was more groundless of truth, as
45e present, who were acquainted with the
facts of
48icrase; could testify. Indeed, it was much against his
Coo c
(Ae nieatne forward as a candidate for the
representa-
stec,ototlar.gborough in Parliament. He left his family
pasture notice, nor did he say the cause of his de-
th! • The first account they heard of him was
:ugh his first address to the electors, a copy of which
Wiriteet h°me. When he came to Walsall he had no
hadeieaPectation of standing as a candidate than hei
1041:.): (I)ing to the moon ; but finding that Mr. Lytte -
taem,a'ainflied, and no one in the locality would come for-.
tle ei "(1 being requested to stand by a number of
didvt cetera, he did feel it his duty to appear as a can-
tata etrer the support of the honest, humane, and lihera.tl
W IP \Valsall. He placed himself in their hands ; I
I- '() Ili
efth ern to do their duty.
them histor of the National Anti-Corn-law League,. of
the ;,en,whoycomposed it, the objects it had in view—
% a'elitton of all monopolies and free trade with all
tht.-nns,of the earth, the means it adopted to obtain
zieic; eniects, its lectures, and the Anti-Corn-law Cir.clZith.•• h.
the
of 300 Associations had been formed
Ali I.' "le last two years through the exertions of their
It:l:l:Pries—seven or eight. in number—in England,
44,1. ' and Scotland. Their tracts have been trans-
kohl it!to the Welch language for the instruction of the
spared Wales on that important question. They had
tili e 4130 labour in disseminating a knowledge of these
Itetini„too, i___
8,
4W and they were now determined to go a
tailly li'lltther--on the hustings. They perceived it was
fromfrota!,°eb a step they could expect to free themselves
the neartless tyranny of the law-making landowners,
4 sa eY had decided to contest the election of every
ttee
v.-taxer They could not afford to lose any time, as
saaitltbeelianergies of the country were being fastdestroyed,.
I,rnara, anved every man to assist in securing a speedy
Nen" to thisglorious cause. The electors of Walsall.
°low -!1 the opportunity to give their opponents a fatal
Isis; it rested with them to strike.
kid itiettartia COBDEN, from Manchester, rose up
44,4 the Most enthusiastic cheers of the meeting. Our
14, e will
not permit us to give more than a brief out-
ta:che' his speech. He came there that evening at
kt presentinconvnience to himself and risk of health, being
to indisposed, but could not allow either of these
Sliiii)revent him from performing a solemn duty, even
eouledugh it were tl e cause of his death ; he knew he
bear nit die in a more righteous cause. He came to
mate' fri eviction 3
to the character of Mr. Smith, his inti-
tolvc end, and their candidate, and the principles he
oft, cates. Ile had known him many years as a man
canseral integrity, high intellectual attainments, and a
.„,..atit friend of the people. He recollected the time
k,7llte ten years ago—when he stood almost alone in
11);Ilehester as the advocate of free trade ; and now,
tt, kaple of that town having become acquainted with
riliernonstrous nature of the bread. tax, and felt its ter-
ra \i "Teets, all are repeaters ; not a single newspaper
ahester dare support the corn monopoly. Mr.
Smith was Chairman of the Manchester Chamber of
ittammere, and of the National Anti-Corn-law League ;
thaw% as
era=sed" of great wealth, if they cared a fig for
Thctlind unisersally respected in his native town.
Nano '4ague had for its object the breaking up of all
of the flies' more especially the unchristian monopoly
le tnu e, of Man. When he opened the word of God,
1 Tic-vt.e."
.itt Gen., c, i., v. 29, " And God said, behold,.
apee
~ given you every herb bearing seed, which zs
ahi„, `1!0 face of all the earth, and every tree, in the.
thcrt, is the fruit of a tree yielding seed ; to you it
tnea r°r meat.' Now, what is the case ? Have
1,, . not violated this righteous precept ? Have not the
aftil!", atm's t' this coun try enacted that corn—the staff
elide; P°°r--shall riot be admitted to England unless
trahe° enormous duty tantamount to an almost total.
lated Itle° ? . They have ;—and while they thus !no-
hilli the law
and will of God as revealed in the Holy
Notien'riet the same time they violated a law of nature.
thcc
ti g cowiuld be plainer to the understanding of man
Olt ne ll of the Creator on this point. He could
writetPene
liackn in indelible characters ; he saw nothing in that
ni k a:tt),°ot fluctuating duties ; or that the inhabitants
Dtodi,i'Llc spot called England should be confined to the
1ity,..:"00 that country. He found no such monstro-
Yet, ii! such infliction on humanity but he found—
is found that " he that witholdeth corn from the
ll till „eh, all be cursed of God." The Bible was correct
4eer, • thin ; it could not be wrong in this. He had
lac- la Paiest:n h . ' of the Holy Land,
liwatit Lei:,llo.n°
dad seen the cities
Iltr.,iiya fotlnd
til and the waters of the Jordan ; and he
4 hid, book his . best. guide book. No mo-
ettipti excelled it in accuracy or beauty of
And can °n ; be had never found it to fail in any case.
titilei x„it menuprosed to have failed in this? Impos-
htl t "° ever did or could Pay so. When we an-
ti). °the Bible
d Int to say our opponents are mute ; they have no-
ted, ',, : every page of it coodemns their unholy
Isici''eti ""ImY may talk about culling passages or mis-
te tnite!)lst. we don't cull passages nor misquote ; we say
Rove t, '3 eriptures, as a whole, and we will undertake to
4'41 tergelt,the. Corn-laws are unscriptural, unchristian,.
il,!'nasia, IpY Iniquitous. He could hardly think of
lelynioun°,rtn from so high a tribunal—one which, of
itas c
quest: e
indubitably settles the question—to consider
' theen of Tresfie and a balance of interests, as
of • written
I the world "rd God, the physical constitution
vltsiast
t, ,lor any law of nature, could or did operate
441.41 crneei .nterest or happiness of any single indi-
, nage, Proves "f men. For any man to entertain such
tki IC his want of the spirit of Christianity
Al- • Is traq • • pomightv....... in the 'goodness and wisdom. of the
!,:alatie t,ne mercifol Father of all mankind. The
ep-ro'Maied to ,' the United Kingdom, at present, was
is 'ed that al,out twenty-six millions, and it had been
te° c r,,,,1` ',he soil was not capable of raising
p :04, tniiC4 than was sufficient to support fif-
-07 ~'essii 40s• What was the duty of legislators,
e'as4ak to What
disciples of our Saviour, in such circurn-
,... '4ller e 10 Prohibit the admission of the surplus food
teattd°_t_ln'trlies---to say to the people you mu,rtbbee
kiea
tli' cry wallt
,a abort allowance ? N. o,noalnc—.eY
tr
,)ccour the " Let abundance be in the lli Int-
-1,3% M ~ e Poor and needy, the naked and the lu
snake
Y 'rends, do we ever hear our landowning law-
ttle the Gospel tilts P Never. Ltt no man, or Minister
1,11. ale be I,l_et, Pro easing the religion of Jesus Christ,
4.sPy ruit..'a a_ Christian it ho votes for a bread•taxer.
,lirci h/ talk about Infidels and Socialists, but rest
ii•Tti4tii
t. 4.
44
cell
fit:e
sntohtealiCehlrtihstian who supports a system
tin, 'We pros . a .., the comfort, the happiness,
thr,e tray a pherliu
J of his fellow-men—sends to prema-
it Is every year by disease, engendered
ItaNh %tarv.(l4!"
the
y.
But
:non caused by the landlords' food mono-
1, food
_, , bile the landowning law-makers taxed jletta elves°l the poor industrious man—the article they
'at ~ proan„, 1 ,
kit', this up,,---(4—oy preventing its importation
non the..el)"t*Y, unless it had reached a starvation
~ise of
~Y egi.lated 80 that few of the comforts, and
ge htotile luxuries, should be under such restriction.
4h, u travelled
IC ; 14d ,_0 over the greater part of the Conti-
,a choicest
cfn in Prance and Portugal ; there he saw
Taete th'en....t. 0 wines tasked and shipped ; if he asked
and pain ti'oe were going„ To London," was the reply.
~e, ,ste(e)ly
law/ boxes of the finest fruits, tastily packed
tttri...,!itioyedecoratea. ; he inquired where they were
terrin seat to !London." From Italy and Russia he found
kvm fOra . butL,oll(ion likewise the richest of their silks
sic'? seajeof'dmY friends, you never heard of a fluetu-
li. e earl uty to any of these articles. The rich
re coeProuiriehase Oleic luxurious productions, and they
tic' repeal Y exempted them from heavy taxation.
4 of °f the Corn-laws was not a ques-
Politic
theh Party s-01 Whig, Tory, or Radical—of
ec°' of Justice 01 another party ; it was a clues-
-1,,1,try. t, the right to live by honest in-
h",nve h '11•1° contended that every man had a right
slag
Tte 1,5 labour, be it by his head or hands, or
th' Bllppl,, ‘-'oro-10W8, by contracting the market and
b St 1.411.. Y of food
, deprived millions in this country of
trained
ler, 'al Much had been said about the home trade
h h atistone and his friends, that it would be
e h Y the r
feel tae trod ePeal of the bread-tax, &c. He was in
than aatre ,e, manufactured for that trade, and would
pl Itle'Y obliged by any gentleman stepping upon
Witil 4tfor
lac' '1 h
!tn: and showing him how the home trade
thc°44eatiglned ; if he could, he would be the first to
e th
,lis agitation. Ho was deeply interested in
racial
on, TT
xle employed about 600 people, paid

upwards of 25,0001. yearly in wages, and turned over
about 150,0001. in business in the same period. Thus
the prosperity and permanency of the home trade was a
matter of some importance to him, probably as much
so as to any manufacturer in this borough. It was not
his wish to boast, but merely to state facts. And whom
did the manufacturers chiefly depend upon, even in the
home trade ? Was it upon such as any of the Duke of
Buckingham's petty agricultural villages ? No. It was
upon such towns as London, Birmingham, Wolver-
hampton, Walsall, Leeds, &c. And what did he find
was the case ? Why, that when our foreign commerce
was depressed, the home trade was invariably bad ; that
was a notorious fact, the consequence of which was, that
those engaged in foreign trade were obliged to manufac
ture for the home market to support existence, by which
means the wages of labour, and profits of capital were re-
duced to the lowest scale, and would still keep gradually
falling, and assuredly would continue to sink, so long as
they were restricted to the present system and markets,
and the population increased, as it would always do. Some
of his men earned about two guineas weekly, a consider-
able number got as much as 255., who had been ap-
prentices—and a still larger number about 20s. ; boys
and girls, from nine to twelve years of age, received
from Ss. to 55., and unskilled labourers, men who had
learned no particular occupation, from 12s. to 14s. He
would respectfully ask if the mechanics in Walsall were
receiving better wa,i es than those he had now stated ?
(Cries of " No, no ; nothing like it.") Well, then, it
was certain, that unless the food monopoly was speedily
destroyed, he, nor no other man, could long give the
present rate of wages. It was impossible, while the
German was daily underselling them ►n most of their ma-
nufactures, as bad been already ably shewn that evening
by their friend Mr. Walker. They must go down the
social scale, how:far no man could tell. Much had been
said about Irishmen immigrating to England ; he did not
see what ought to prevent them ; they had a right to
sell their labour at the best advantage—this was the
great principle they were contending for ; yet lie could
not help fearing the time might come when the English-
man would be reduced to the condition of the present

Irish peasant ; this was certain, that unless our com-
mercial system were immediately revised, it would be ine-
vitable. He would not detain them any longer. He
seriously entreated the electors to consider their position
—the eyes of the country were upon them. He did
not use that expression in the sense it was used in a
petty election by party, where no one cared about it be-
yond its own precinct. If they did return an anti-
monopolist he would come back to congratulate the
men of Walsall o❑ the victory they had achieved for
themselves and their country; if not, he, as a private
individual, would not wish to share the obloquy and
scorn that awaited them.

Mr. Muartal-, from Liverpool, having arrived since
the meeting commenced, was introduced by Mr. Smith.
He stated that last night a meeting of upwards of 2,000
people assembled in Liverpool to address the men of
Walsall, and to petition Parliament for the repeal of
the bread-tax. He had been sent by that meeting to
induce them to do their duty in the present contest, and
trusted they would.
After Mr. Murray had done, Mr. COBDEN again rose
and entreated discussion without calling any one forth.
A few suggestions were then made by a gentleman as
to the propriety of getting up a requisition to Mr. Glad-
stone, inviting him to appear with Mr. Smith before
the electors ; after which the meeting quietly dispersed.
The utmost enthusiasm prevailed throughout the pro-
ceedings, the different speakers being often interrupted
by shouts of applause.
FRlDAY.—Another large meeting was held this even-
ing. The Dragon Assembly Room was crowded to
overflow. Eloquent addresses were delivered by
Messrs. Aclaad, Kettle, Smith, and Cobden.

(FROM A CORRESPONDENT.)
PLAIN SPEAKING QUESTIONS PUT TO THE
ELECTORS OF WALSALL.

What is the reason that PEACE is of no advantage
to the people?—Answ. The Corn Laws.
What is the cause of the great scarcity, and the high
price of provisions, for both man and beast ?—The
Corn Laws.
What is the reason that the waste lands and com-
mons are unanimously enclosed, and the people thereby
deprived of their undoubted ancient rights and privi-
leges ?—The Anti-Christian Corn Laws.
What is the reason that the best and most indus-
trious of the people are obliged to emigrate ?—The
Corn Laws.
What is the reason that the great and wealthy
(families) reside in foreign lands where bread is cheap
and abundant ?—The Anti-Christian Corn Laws.

. _
What is the reason that the people scarcely ever
aste meat unless they enter into her Majesty's service ?
—The Corn Laws.

What is the cause of the country being clouded over
with poor-houses in time of Pcace?—The Anti-Chrts•
tian Corn Laws.

Men of Walsall, God and man command and " ex-
pect you to do your duty" to your friends, God, and
THE PEOPLE!

January 17th, 1841.
P.S.—lVeahlry peop!e DOUBLE their incomes by liv-
ing with their families cn the Continent, enjoying cheap
good bread, and paying no taxes.

BANEFUL EFFECTS OF ALTER-
ING THE COURSE OF EXCHANGE, BY
INCREASING OR DECREASING THE QUAN-
TITY OF MONEY.

(From a Paper of Mr. Gilbart in the Westminster
Review.)
W e see, then, that an alteration in the quantity of
currency will affect the foreign exchanges in two ways.
An increase in the quantity will tend to advance the
prices of commodities, and thus cheek exportation, and
encourage importation ; and it will lower the rate of in-
terest, and thus cause a transfer of capital for invest-
ment in foreign securities. Seeing, then, that we have
the power of thus influencing the exchanges, the ques-
tion arises, ought we, as a general principle of action, to
make use of this power ?"
It strikes us at once that this is an operation altoge-
ther at variance with the ordinary 'functions of money.
The design of money is to effect the exchanges of com-
modities—to operate as a measure of value between
different commodities, and thus to show their relative
values. And it ought not only to show the relative
value of different commodities at the same time, but
also the value of the same commodity at different times.
All writers on monetary science have held that the
measure of value ought to be free from change ; and
they state that the precious metals were originally se-
lected for this reason, because they possessed, more than
any othey commodity, the quality of permanency. It
seems as necessary to have a standard of value as a
standard of weight or of measure. And were the yard
measure or the bushel measure to be perpetually chang-
ing, it could not produce greater confusion or injustice
than if the standard of value were perpetually changing.
On this ground it has been contended that corn would
be a very improper standard of value; for as, annually,
the crops vary very much, an article that is worth one
bushel of corn this year may be worth two bushels the
next. But if the quantity of money were to be increased
or diminished from year to year, with the view of in-
fluencing the exchanges, then it would become as im-
proper a standard of value as corn. Indeed, during the
last few years, the quantity of gold in the Bank of Eng-
land has fluctuated more than the produce of the har-
vests. There are various circumstances that influence
the prices of commodities; such as an increase or a
diminution of the supply—a state of peace or war—the
opening of new markets—the discovery of che Ter
modes of production, or the substitution of a scarce
commodity. Now it seems proper that these legitimate
causes of an alteration of prices should not be counte-
racted by an artificial operation on the currency : the
natural price of a commodity is an indication of the re-
lative quantity in the market ; and when the price ad-
vances, it is notice to the consumers to reduce their
consumption. Suppose, for instance, we had a scanty
harvest, the price of corn would of course advance ;
this advance of price would induce many people, from
motives of economy, to diminish their consumption, and
to use instead cheaper kinds of food ; and thus the
quantity on hand would be eked out to the next har-
vest. But suppose the quantity of money were to be
forcibly contracted, and corn kept as cheap in this sea-
son of scarcity as it had been in the previous year, then
consumption would not be diminished ; the whole stock
might soon be exhausted, and, before the next harvest,
the nation might starve. Thus, artificial operations on
the currency might contract the effect of the natural
causes of alteration in prices, and also, by operating
unequally on different commodities, might derange their
[ I relative values.

Cu URCII-R A TES.--PUBLIC MEETING AT
LEICESTER —A great public meeting, called by the
Leicester Voluntary Church Society, will be held on Fri-
day next. John Biggs, Esq., Mayor of the borough, is
to preside. Our respected members, John Easthope, Esq.,
and Wynn Ellis, Esq., with Daniel O'Connell, Esq., arc
to be present, and the objects of the meeting are to seek
the abolition of Church rates, the suppression of ecclesi-
astical courts, and the liberation of Mr. Baines. Such a
meeting, called at such a juncture, for such purposes, and
sustained by such men, will, we are persuaded, command
the attention and awaken the enthusiasm of the town and
county, and be ft& throughout the land. We have to
thank the High Church party in St. Martin's parish for
this treat, and to them will belong the honour of kindling
a fire in England that prelacy will never be able to put
out. --Lcicester.;hire Mercury.

DAMP WALl.S.—Seeral months ago a corres-
spondect applied to us to know if we could advise him how
to remedy the nuisance of damp walls. We were not at
the time aware of any recipe for the purpose; but we hap-
pened to meet with a paragraph the other day in a re-
spectable work, which we shall here transcribe, in order
to afford our correspondent the opportunity to put it to the
teat A hall, of which the walls were constantly damp,
though every means were employed to keep them
dry, was about to be pulled down, when M. Scemithall re-
commended, es a last resource, that the walls should be
washed with sulphuric acid (vitriol). It was done, and the
deliquiescent salts being decomposed by the acid, the
walls dried, and the hall was afterwards free from damp-
4058."..—Recreations in Science.

ENORMOUS WEALTH.

(From the Liverpool Mercury.)

DESULTORY OBSERVATIONS ON ENORMOUS INDIVIDUAL
WEALTH-ITS TENDENCY-MEMORABLE INSTANCES
07 ITS UTTER INEFFICIENCY TO CONFER nAppi-
NESS ON THE POSSESSOR.

The wretch, concentred all in self,
Despite his honours, power, and pelf,
Living, shall forfeit fair renown,
And, doubly dying, shall go down
To the vile dust from whence he sprung,
Unwept, unhonour'd, and unsung."
" Les economistes ont fait de notre societe un grand
corps sans ame, dans lesquel circule de Parithmetique au
lieu de sang."—Anon.

In the present dearth of political intelligence for cdi-
orial comment, we are about to volunteer a short chap-
er on a subject not often selected for newspaper specu-
ation, but by no means destitute of interest,—a subject

well worthy of the consideration of all those who. profit-
ing by the lessons of experience, would learn properly
to appreciate the intrinsic value of that object, in pur-
suit of which men too often peril their health, their
peace of mind, and their reputation. That object, we
need scarcely add, is IVealth, to the attainment of
which all other considerations are too frequently re-

garded as secondary or subsidiary. In choosing such a sub-
ject for comment, we may perhaps be reminded of the
old maxim, " Vc sutor ultra crepidam ;" and the
purse•proud, if such there should chance to be amongst
our readers, may hint, with a supercilious sneer, that
we should not meddle with matters beyond our limited

comprehension, and of which we can havo had no per-
sonal experience. In excuse for the imputed presump-
tion, while we freely admit that practically we never
had, nor probably ever shall have, much experience of
the effects of wealth upon our habits, feelings, and cha-

ratter, we must at the same time observe, that as the
looker-on at a game frequently detects gross mistakes

overlooked by engaged in the speculation—so

even we fancy we have long ago discovered that the
imaginary prize, which is so eagerly contended for, gc-

'wally turns out a blank—that as the French perti-
nently say, "Lc jeu sac vaut pas le chandelle." We
do not absolutely deny that wealth, when attained, is

sometimes a blessing to the possessor ; but the conclu-
sion at which we have long since arrived is, that it is
only a blessing to the very small minority, who have dis-
covered the secret of its proper appropriation ; while

the number of those who have made that discovery is.

so infinitely small, compAred with the whole body of
fortune-hunters, that it may be almost received as a

moral axiom, that great wealth is almost invariably a

great evil.
The learned and philosophic reasoner, Bacon, treating
on the subject, declared th:t " of great riches there is
no real use, except it be in the distribution—the rest
is but conceit." "As the baggage to an army, (ac-
cording to the same high authority,) so is excessive
wealth to virtue ; it cannot be spared, but it hindreth
the march,—yea, and the care of it sometimes loseth or

disturbeth the victory." It is obvious from this profound

remark, that Bacon regarded great riches as incompa-
tible with the moral excellence of man ; and our opinion

is, that the history of those who have acquired almost
unbounded wealth would fully establish the justice of

the conclusion.
It has with many parsons been a question whether
those individuals who have amassed enormous fortunes,
can have uniformly adhered to the rigid maxims of

honesty, and to the spirit of the Divine-precept, which

enjoins us " to do unto others as we would they should

,o unto us." The humorous and satirical author of

Crotchet Lodge, with a happy mixture of truth and
irony, contends that strict honesty is not to be looked
for amongst the money-changers :
" As to honesty (says this humorist), he made his
fortune, Sir, in the City of London, and if that com-
modity be of any value there, you will find it in the
Prices Current."

There is something so original and so whimsical in
:he notion of classing honesty with cotton, coffee, and

mercantile sundries, that w•e could not resist the tempta-
tion of quoting the passage, although it must be regarded
as broad caricature.

Before we proceed further, we shall here, by way of
illlstrating what we deem inordinate individual wealth,
call the attentio❑ of our readers to a few remarkable

cases, taken indiscriminately from a much snore copious
collection, with which our note books would furnish us,
if we did not deem the specimens we have adduced suf-
ficient for our purpose.
INORDINATE WEALTH.—He (Mr. Howitt) Says that
Wolsey exceeded Xin-lenes, Richelieu, Maxerine, and De
Retz, in wealth, &c. He did not much surpass Do
Retz, but did he exceed Mazarine ? We have our
doubts on the subject. Mazarine died worth nearly
eight millions sterling, probably the largest pro-
perty possessed by any individual in modern times.*—
Gentleman's Magazine for May, 1840, p. 435 ; Re-
view of Howitt's Visit to Remarkable Places.
It is stated on good authority that Wolsey kept no
fewer than five hundred servants in his establishment,

of whom nine or ten were lords, fifteen knights, and
forty were esquires. He was a Royal favourite, once
regarded as the arbiter of Europe, whose yearly income
equalled, if it did not exceed the revenues of the Crown.
ON THE TREASURES OF THE KINGS OF PERSIA.

—We see, by what is said in the text, the reason wby
Alexander found such vast sums accumulated in the
treasures of Persepolis, Susa, Pasagarda, &c. I doubt,
notwithstanding, whether we should give credit to
Justin, when he says, that after the conquest of Persia,
Alexander annually drew three hundred thousand
talents from his new subjects, which would make at out
sixteen hundred and twenty millions of French boxes, or
sixty-seven millions and a half sterling.—Note to Vol. I.
of the Travels of Anacharsis.
•' A RUSSIAN CRCESUS.—M. de Tiszkiewies, the
richest landholder in Russian Lithuania, died a short
time since. The St. Petetsburgh papers inform us,
that he has left to his three sons 2,000 villages, con-
taining more than 60,000 serfs, and in ready money,
10,000,000 of crowns, and that it was this gentleman
who was said to have refused the hand of his daughter

to Duke Alexander of Wirtembcrg, who afterwards
married the Princess Marie d'Orlcans. His daughter
since married Prince Sapicha, and had 2,000,000
crowns for her dowry. A letter from St. Petersburg's
says—' This gentleman's property comprised 46 exten-
sive domains, on which there are 20,000 families of
peasantry, reckoning in them 60 000 males. In money,
he possessed 56,000,000 Polish florins, equal, in French
money, to 21,600,000 f. Ho had had six children, of
whom three sons, beside his daughter, survive him. The
eldest, according the laws of Lithuania, inherits the
whole of this immense wealth. He, however, has as-
signed one-fourth to be equally divided between his two
brothers. "
We shall translate the following passage from " Une
Annee in Espagne,"par Charles Didier :
" IMMENSE POSSESSIONS OF THE DUKE DE ME-
DINA CELl.—There is not a town or village in which
he (the Marquis de Medina Ccli) has not some Palace,
and he might almost make the tour of Spain, as the
Prince of Butera made the tour of Sicily, sleeping
every night at home."—Vol, 1., p. 24.
The Prince Esterhazy ought not to be overlooked
in our enumeration of men of prodigious wealth. On
the eve of the Coronation of our Queen, the following
notice of this Prinee appeared in some of the continental
papers ;
" A letter from Vienna, of the 15th, says—' It is
affirmed that the Hungarian dress, ordered by Prince
Esterhazy for the Coronation of Queen Victoria, will
cost half a million of Dutch florins. I can believe this,
since the Brandebourgs alone, adorned with silver and
diamonds, cost 80,000 florins."
We believe it is related of this Prince that when he
visited Mr. Coke, of Norfolk, or some of our great
agriculturists, who had what is regarded in England an
immense stock of sheep, he (the Prince) simply ob-
served that " he had on his estates as many shepherds
as our countryman had sheep!"
" PRIVATE FORTUNE OF SOME OF THE GREAT PER-
SONAGES OF ANCIENT TlMES.—Crcesus possessed, in
landed property, a fortune equal to 1,700,000/.,
sides a large sum of money, slaves, and furniture, which
amounted to an equal sum ; he used to sly that a citizen
who had not a fortune sufficient to support an army or
a legion, did not deserve the title of a rich man. The
philosopher Seneca had a fortune of 3,500,000/. Len-
tullus, the soothsayer, had 3,500,000/. Ttberiusiat his
death, left 23,625,0001., which Caligula spent in less
than twelve months. Vespasian, on ascending the throne,
estimated all the expenses of the state at 35,000,0001.
The debts of Milo amounted to 600,0001. Comer,
before he entered upon any office, owed 2,995 0001.
He purchased the friendship of Curio for 500,0001.,
and that of Lucius Paulus for 300,0001. At the time
of the. assassination of Julius Caesar, Antony was in
debt to the amount of 300,0001. ; he owed this sum in
the Ides of March, and it was paid before the Kalends
of April ; he squandered 147,000,0001. of the public
treasures. Appicius expended, in debauchery, 500,000/.,
and finding, on examination of the state of his affairs,
he had no more than 80,000/. left, he poisoned himself,
because he considered that sum insufficient for his
maintenance. Julius Caesar gave Servilla, the soother
of Brutus, a pearl of the value of 40,0001. Cleopatra,
at an entertainment, gave to Antony, dissolved in vine-
gar, who swallowed it, a pearl worth 80,0001. Claudius,
the son of Esopus, the comedian, swallowed one worth
8,000/. One single dish cost Esopus XO,OOOl. Cali•
gula spent, for one supper, 80,0001, and Helion'abulus
20,000/. The usual cost of a repast for Lucullus was
20,000/. Missile gave 400,000/. for the house of
Antony. The fish from Lucullus's fish-ponds were gold
for 35,000/. Scaurus's country house was destroyed
by fire, and his loss was estimated at 850,00)/. Otho,
to fini,,h a part of Nero's palace, spent 487,5001."
If the extraordinary instances of prodigious indivi-

dual wealth which we have here noticed should excite
the envy of any reader to whom fortune has been un-
propitious, we invite his attention to a few memorable
instances which we shall adduce in proof of the utter

• We confine our observations to Europe. What trea-
sures have been accumulated in Asia we cannot ascertain.
After the sack of Delbi, Nadir Shah's spoils were calculated
at seventy-eight