The Sun.
London, England, 1842-01-10 00:00:00

THE LATE WALTER. H. WATTS.I
Died on Tuesday last, at his lodgings in Earl's-
court-terrace, Old Brompton, after many months of
severe Linen and painful suffering, which he endured
with the most manly resignation, Walter Henry Watts,
Bel, at the age of 64. He was the son of Captain
Watts, of the Royal Navy, and we have heard him say
that he was born in the Bay of Bengal ; and at a time
when Colonels were under the discipline of nursery
maids, the same abusive system ex tended to the navy,
and Mr. Watts was entered a midshipman, and received
pay, from the time of his birth.
Mr. Watts was educated in Chester, and began life
as au artist. He travelled through Scotland and its
islands, towards the latter end of the last century, with
Dr. Garnet, and contributed the drawings to the tour
published by that gentleman, in quarto. He pursued '
his profession some time in Glasgow, and repaired to the
metropolis about forty years ago. Professional distinction
is slowly acquired here, and without any idea of de-
voting himself permanently to literature, Mr. Watts
was induced to accept of an engagement as a Parliamen-
tary reporter on the Morning Post, at a time when the
House of Commons could boast of a Pitt, a Fox, a
Sheridan, a Windham, and a Tierney. As a reporter,
his qualifications were of the very first class, and the
value of his services was acknowledged by conditions
more than usually advantageous, which enabled him to
devote much of the time of the session,.and all the recess,
to professional pursuits.
As a miniature painter, he attained considerable ex-
cellence, and was a regular exhibitor at Somerset-house
for many years. At one time he occupied very expensive
apartments in Bond-street, and wished to devote himself
exclusively to art; but the experiment did not succeed,
and ha was obliged to continue his connection with the
newspaper press, which only terminated within a few
years of his death. With the exception of a brief period
during which he was one of the editors of the Courier,
Mr. Watts was from 1817 a parliamentary reporter on
the Morning Chronicle. He was the author and editor
of theAnnualObituary, and of the " Political Memento,"
and contributed, for above twenty years, criticisms on the
fine arts to the Literary Gazette.
Mr. Watts possessed qualities rarely found together
in the same man. The wealth of worlds would not have
induced him to do or say what he could not reconcile
with the strictest principle ; and he was, at the same
time, indulgent in the extreme to the weaknesses of
others. A man of a kinder disposition never lived, and
his purse and services were always at the command of
the distressed. Of a chivalrous disposition, he held
everything mean or little in peculiar abhorence ; and
though driven about for forty years in a metropolis, the
atmosphere of which is sappesed not to be peculiarly fa-
vourable to exalted principles, it may be said with con-
fidence of Mr. Watts, that he remained to the last a
model of all that was pure, honourable, and disinterested.
No one who knew him could ever conceive of Mr. Watts
that, under any circumstances, he would not prove himself
an example of the most unbending integrity.
In his private circle he was beloved, and we used
hardly say that his virtues obtained for him the highest
consideration with all who were connected with the
daily press. He possessed an influence with them which
no man ever before possessed, and, in all probability, no
man ever will. again.
We close our short tribute to the memory of this excellent
man with the following extract from a notice in the Lite-
rary Gazette, by his friend Mr. Jerdan :
" He was an artist and an author ; and in both pur-
suits his career was honourable and honoured. In
truth, his manly integrity and unflinching firmness in
every circumstance of life shed a lustre over it so bright, -!
that the greatest of men belonging to history might be
proud to have it like as a hale round their name and
memory for ever. There could be no station in so-
ciety which it would not illuminate and adorn ; and
there are hundreds of living witnesses to what we
now write, in London, who will bear testimony to the
fact, that we could employ no language too expressive
or forcible when speaking of the excellence of the indi-
vidual who has been taken from amongst us. It was
not his general attainments, though they were of no com-
mon order ; it was not his judgment, though penetrating
and sound; it was not his artistical skill, though of ac-
knowledged talents; it was not his authorship, though of
the purest English style and the highest British prin-
ciples; it was not these gifts and qualities, separately or
combined, which endeared him to all who had the hap-
piness of his intimacy; but it was the possession of a
fine and superior nature, which shone through all lie
said or did; and made even slight acquaintance look
up to him as a model of uncompromising worth and human
virtue. Mr. Watts was very many years a reporter of the
debates in Parliament for the press; at one period for the
Morning Post, and at a later period for the Morning Chro-
nicle. In the discharge of the duties thus imposed upon him
he has not been surpassed, and seldom equalled. On all
difficult occasions he was resorted to as the referee and
oracle of the parties with whom this employment con-
nected him ; and it may be recollected, that when the
Duke of Cambridge presided at the festival on behalf of
the infant formation of the institution for the benefit of
newspaper writers, at the Thatched House Tavern, about
three years ago, Mr. Watts was chosen by that body to
be their spokesman, and delivered on the occasion an
address of singular appropriateness and brilliant effect,
for which his Royal Highness complimented him in the
warmest terms. He was, indeed, one of the most zealous
founders of this most laudable Association, and always
took an earnest interest in its prosperous establishment."

THE SHORT-TIME COMMITTEE.
TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR-I am really astonished at the impudence at-
tempted to be palmed off upon the country, by
the prominence and importance given to the inter-
views of the " Short-time Committee" and the
Government. These fellows appear as the representa-•
tives of the working classes of the West Riding In
the name of my fellow-workmen, I protest against such
nits •-
representation. What, Sir, represent the working
classes, and say nothing of the price of food I—nothing
of dear bread!—nothing of the right of every man to
exchange the fruit of his labour for the corn, &c., of
other countries ! I marvel at this (doubtless well paid)
impudence. Who are these men ? Whence came
they ? Who sent them, and trained them to enact this
farce ? " Aye, there's the rub." Let Lord A***** an-
swer. The public should know, Sir, that the whole
thing has been got up for the express purpose of diverting
the public mind from the great " master grievance '
(as Lord Melbourne truly called it) of the Bread-tax,
and to make it appear that theirs were the opinions of
the working classes I
Pray, Sir, let me call upon the working men of Leeds
and other large towns to appoint a real, not a sham depu-
tation, who shallwipe away the stain inflicted on them by
the senseless jargon of those fellows about machinery caus-
ing their present sufferings ! What employment should
we have but for the machines, when with them, we can
only barely compete with other nations ? And why ?
Simply because we pay double for our feed. Machinery
Faugh Would a man have a well dug with fingers
and nails, because it would employ more hands than if
done with a spade and pick-axe ? and yet, herein lies
the whole question. If any be so foolish, let him ask,
how many wells would be wanted at the price they would
then cost ? and he will see at once the utter absurdity
of attempting to do without machinery. The hypocrisy
also of these landowners joining the outcry ought to be
exposed. Just think—these very men are themselves
offering premiums all over the country for the best ma-
chines for the purposes of agriculture ! and the renegade
Times is printed with perhaps one of the most wonder-
ful and labour-saving machines in the world ! Sir, I
admire the noble stand you have made for the working
classes, in advocating the destruction of their worst
enemy—the Bread-tax ; and I trust you will yet live to
see your reward. A deputation should immediately be
sent to Sir Robert Peel and Sir James Graham, to do
away with the mummery so recently practised, and as
they were so delighted to see and receive such a deputa-
tion, they could not refuse to see another, though with
very different views. To conclude, as there is a law to
keep up the price of food, let them be sure to ask where
is the law to keep up the price of labour. If the for-
mer must be still maintained, the latter is only justice.
ONE OF THE WORKING CLASSES.
Manchester, Jan. 6, 1842.