Star.
London, England, 1830-07-26 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE JOURNALS.

Tcatzs.—We have already noticed at considerable length the re-
port of the Select Committee of the House of Commons on thestate
of our manufacturing population, and on the evils arising from a
frequent and sudden ebb or flow of the demand for labour. The
former extracts which we made from that report had reference to
the causes of the evil, and to their magnitude: we now present the
remedy recommended by the committee; or, more strictly, their
" outline of a plan for gradually mitigating the evil. The plan
is in substance nothing more than the exception to a benefit
society, under in some respects a novel form, the same legal facilities
and privileges which are already given to benefit societies of the or-
dinary character, and to savings' banks. At the same time we ad-
mit tfat it is a very valuable improvement on the benefit-society
system as at present in most cases established, to limit the re-
sponsibility of each contributor to the scale of his own necessi-
ties. and to prevent any encroachment by the society at large
upon the funds advanced by individuals for the sake of any but
the party who has actually furnished them. Each member will
thus derive advantage from the institution, in the precise
ratio of his own deposits, and it follows that persons of
the most frugal and'providlent habits will enjoy: he most ample as-
sistarce when compelled to seek it. The observations which are
subjoined to the plan go first to enumerate its proposed advantages,
and afterwards to answer objections which have been, or may be,
adduced against it. ‘l'e heartily concur in one shrewd remark of
the committee on the subject of insufficient wages being eked out
by allowances from the poor-rates, vie. that " it is much better a
manufacture so upheld should be lessened (or indeed abandoned)
rather than extend itself by a practice utterly unjust as regards the
rate of payers, and ruinous to the comfort and independence of
the working classes." It is, to be sure, something audacious as
well as iniquitous that the rate payers generally should be, as they
often are and have been, called upon to assist either farmers or ma-
nufacturers in paying their respective workmen.

ERALT.—The representation of the great and populous city of
Westminster has, for a considerable time past, been held on nearly
as easy terms as any sinecure M the kingdom; yet the electors of
'Westminster profess an exterminating hostility to sinecurists el id
anise genus ! How is this ? It surely is not to be accounted for
by the elective franchise being in the hands of a select few, who
impose upoa the inhabitants at large whatever persons they, In the
corrupt abuse of their privilege, may deem sufficiently qualified, by
a want of virtue, energy, and honest zeal, to perform an Idle part in
the pageantry of mock representation. 14o; Westminster enjoys,
in a large sense, the right of sending members to Parliament. If
the electors do not send persons capable of serving the pub.
lie, and willing to do their duty, who can they blame ?
If they exercise the elective franchise basely or blindly,
what right have they to denounce rotten boroughs, and exclaim
aainst the corruptions of the Government ? They have Sir
Francis Burdett. totmerly a most vehement reformer, but latterly
as obsequious a flatterer of the Ministry as the most zealous oppo•
nent of reform could desire—a reformer who has not Introduced into
the House of Commons a single practical measure to relieve the
country of its burdens—a politician who declared in his place in
Parliament that the army—yes, the " standing army," on which
he used to exhaust all his constitutional indignation—was the
'• best school for statesmen ;" a champion of the liberty of the
Press who defended the Attorney-General when he received the just
castigation of the House for his es officio persecutions of that my
l'ress, which the electorsof Westminster, with their Members at their
head, were wont to toast with exemplary devotion in their a Purity
of Election" libations. They have also Mr. Hobhouse, whose
merits in any other way than as being the shadow of Sir Francis
Burdett it would be difficult to discover. Sir Francis Burdett is,
indeed, an orator, which Mr. Hobhouse is not. The former can
speak to the purpose, if he will ; but it matters little that a man
should, at patriotic dinners. indulge in fine phrases about freedom,
the public cause, and reform, or, on one or two occasions, in the
course of the Session, make a good set holyday speech, if he will not
be constant in his attendance at his post, to watch and resist the ene-
mies of the peop:e, and to lay his shoulder to the wheel of Peril-
mentary business. The country now, above all times, wants, in the
Legislature, men of working qualities, who can and will attend to
the interests of their constituents and of the public—men who will
not talk about reform out of doors, and leave venality to its undi-
sturbed repose within. It is therefore we should be glad to
find that Sir Sidney Smith and Captain Peliew had re-
solved to come forward and offer themselves for Westminster.
Of the eminent services which the former rendered to his

country, in her day of exceeding peril, we need not remind
the public. The glory gathered at Acre lives in the imperishable
record of history. Capt. Pellew is less known ; but he bears a
name that is associated with honourable recollections We should,
at all events, like to see the electors of Westminster vindicate the
freedom of election, which they seem to have surrendered, and try
what they can do with " new men," if it were for no other reason
than that it is easy to find better representatives than their late
members, and almost impossible to find worse.

HERALD.—It was, we believe, very generally expected, that the
order so promptly given by his Majesty, for opening a passage into
the Park at the bottom of Waterloo-place, would have been as
promptly obeyed by those on whom its execution devolved. It seems,
however, that this is a bitter pill, which certain patrons find it ex.
ceedingly difficult to swallow ; and the numerous pewees along
Pall-mall and down Regent-etreet, who day by day cast their eyes
wistfully towards the expected aperture, still find the total bar.
tier remaining untouche& We can readily conceive that such
things are not done in a moment (tho' where there is a willing mind,
procrastination seldom intervenes); nor should we, therefomi
notice the delay in this case, did we not perceive it hinted
in the columns of a contemporary that means are resorting to
in a certain quarter either to defeat entirely, or, at any rate,
circumvent, the kind intentions of the king. We have no fear,
however, that the former will he permitted ; though we have our ap-
prehenaions that the latter may be the case, and that the accommo-
dation may end, for instance, in the shape of something like a spiral
staircase, unless the same kind-hearted, noble-minded individual,
from whose spontaneous good-will the suggestion has sprang, con-
descend to see his own wishes executed, not only in their letter, but
in their spirit. No one having any regard either for taste or con-
venience, can doubt, we should imagine, that the proposed opening
ought to comprise a handsome carriage as well as foot en-
trance into the Park, with gates corresponding with the situ'.
tion and flanked by handsome lodges. Considering the ready ac.
cm which this will give to Peers, Members of Parliament, and
other official persons passing along Pall-mall and Regent-street to.
wards Westminster, there can be no doubt but that the projected
opening, thus effected, would be a general boon to all, and quite as
great an accommodation to the highest as to the lowest of the peo-
ple. At all events we have no doubt but that his Majesty, who is
" every inch a King," will not permit his own kind intentions, or
the expectations of his subjects, to be thwarted by any of those
official underlings who have hitherto poesessed an influence which
they have always upopularly exercised, and are loath to relinquish.
Cueonicti.—Many persons are exceedingly puzzled to under-
stand the phenomena peculiar to the present elections. Counties
may be said to be everywhere going a begging. The populous venal
boroughs too, find some difficulty in obtaining third candidates to
prevent the two from walking over the course. The value of the
franchise to a free-born Englishman is the number of pounds, shil-
lings and pence It brings in to him ; and nothing seems such a vio.
lation of his rights and privileges as any understanding among the
candidates by which the voters are prevedted from playing offs third
man against the two, os by which the out-voters are prevented from
making a trip to the country to visit their relations at the expense
of the candidates. We lately saw a printed advertisement is-
sued by a third party of a well-known borough, about thirty miles
from London, in which the Members announce their displeasure
that the ine and the outs have hitherto deprived them of their
fair share of the advantage of the franchise, and express a deter.
ruination that in future they will always vote for one Ministerial
candidate, and such other candidate as may best contribute
to advance their particular interests. Such is the miserable
degraded state to which Englishmen have been brought. Such
is the language which, in this moral and religious country, men
de. not hesitate to commit to the Press ! It is not, we
think, difficult to account for the circumstances which are peculiar
to the present election. In the first place, the sum to be scram-
bled for is becoming less and less every year, while the expense of
the elections is every year increasing. During the war, while we
were expending one hundred millions a year, it was worth, while, as
a speculation, to lay out a large sum in an election contest to ob.
tam a share of the contracts, &c. The temptation was at that time
too great for the virtue of most individuals of this religious nation.
Mr. Waithman and the City Patriots were a small minority during
the era of contracts. The members of the Stock Exchange hummed
when war was declared against France. This was the golden age;
loans and contracts, jacobin alarms, a strong government, bribery
and corruption—all were dovetailed into each other. Rut with peace
came reckoning, and the race of calculators and economists. Mr.
flume succeeded to Mr. Pitt. Figures of arithmetic took the place of
figures of speech. The annuitants swallow the greatest part of
the revenue, and the borough.holders, like the horse-leech, may
cry Ilive--but they cry in vain—there is little to give. The ex-
ponce of Elections has been continually increasing from many
causes, till at last the higher ranks have found themselves unequal
to the expense. In England there is a great unwillingness to let
any set of men long continue to enjoy the monopoly of good
things. Hence in many Boroughs de progressive Increase of the
number of voters. Thirty years ago, for instance, Warwick had
from five to six hundred voters. Then the Castle metrived to re-
turn both Members. Till the late Mmber, Mr. Ledbrookes
time, it was considered a Treasury Borough. The voters are now
upwards of 1200. The purchase of 1200 voters is a very different
thing from the purchase of 400. In the same manner, Stafford,
which had not above four hundred voters in the time of Mr. She.
ridan, has now upwards of MO. Every where the number of voters

' has been doubled and trebled. In Coventry they have been trebled
during the last thirty.five years. In Leicester they have been
trebled. In Liverpool they have be trebled. In Prates they
have been trebled. Reform will take place to a considerable ex- I
tent in England, not because the voters are less mrraaary, far the
ideas of voters are so perverted, that they deem the sale of a vote as
proper as the sale of a horse or a cowl but because they are not
worth purchasing. The last Leicester election, for instance, cost'
Mr. Brans 19,0001. and upwards, and Mr. Otway Cave
upwards of 10,0001. It cost Sir Charles Hastings, the an-1
didate of the Corporation, 16,0001. and the Corporation,
what with their generosity towards Sir Charles. and their quarrel
with Mr. Cave, spent sixteen thousand pounds, the greatest
part of which is said to be yet unpaid. Without any con-
test, Yorkshire cost Mr. Marshall upwurds of 30,0001. Warwick.
shire is mid to have cost a gentleman, to stand against a subscrip.
Lion Candidate, above 27,0001. In this case there was no bribery.
Stafford cost Mr. Beaumont 14,0001. It cost the losing candidate
upwards of 6,000 L Every one has heard of what Camelford cost
the Marquess of Cleveland, till the arrangement with the Marquess
of Hertford. The Members who were returned for the Marquess
paid the voters in 11. notes, inclosed in a deal box, marked " China."
The Clive family can tell a pretty story, if they please, of
what Ludlow has cost them. The great source of ex.
pence is the conveyance of out-voters. It is well known
that the out-voters in London and other great towns will
always sell themselves to the man who pays their expences, and
allows them to visit their relations gratis. So profligate are these
five-born Englishmen, that it is impossible to get these men to poll
till the very last, without an undertaking that if they poll early they
shall have as many feeds as if they reserved their votes. Wealth
can always carry the day where there are outvoters. In the last
election for Northumberland, Mr. Beaumont is said to have lost
100,0001.
The competition seems now to have taken a turn. We now see
profligate voters holding out their hands every where to profligate
Members ; but as the latter are no longer full.handed, their profli-
gacy is no longer profitable. Free-born Englishmen will at last be
forced to be pure, because Members are too poor to buy them. Pros-
titution, like every thing else, may be in excess. We must be vir-
tuous in spite ourselvee, when it is of no use to be vicious.