Star.
London, England, 1830-02-12 00:00:00

MR. CORBETT'S LECTURE.

assembled
Yesterday evening, at ht o'clock, the theatre of the
Mechanics'
Institutewascroude with
deliverithpersons a
for the purpose of hearing Mr.. Cobbett lecture
upon the prevailing distress of the community, and the
means proposed for its remedy.
Mr. COBBETT was hailed with shouts of
applause,
which continued for several minutes. As soon as silence
prevailed, he commenced by observing that, since h.
had had the honour to address his audience, he had been
called to witness much of the prevailing distress of the
country, which naturally suggested to his mind the ne-
cessity of adopting a speedy and effectual remedy. The
present state of things reminded him of an old Latin
proverb, which said—' Miserable are the people who
live under uncertain laws," and, he would add, more par-
ticularly miserable, when the laws respecting money and
property were uncertain. He could not avoid alluding in
the strongest terms to the shifts, the uncertainties, there
were respecting the currency. This time four years par-
liament passed an act by which the value ofmoney was more
than doubled. They were now contemplating a scheme,
which, if carried into effect, must reduce that value to
one half its present standard. And thus would be dis-
jointed all the affairs that existed betwixt man and
man. Unless money were of a fixed value, there could
be no such thing as real property : all must be a
sheer mockery—for what confidence could exist in
men's minds when they knew not whether the
money they now received would not be to-morrow
reduced in value to a half or a quarter part what it then
was ? It had been suggested as a remedy to return to a
small paper currency—but what a miserable remedy it
was. A strong desire had been manifested by the
landed proprietors to effect such a measure—that was
in effect to reduce property to one half its value. And
this would seem the reason why those men were so
anxious for such a change, because it would in propor-
tion reduce the mortgages on their estates. However.
the Duke of Wellington, he was happy to perceive, ap-
peared determined to resist such a proposition. The Duke
of Wellington would, he was sure, adhere to his purpose;
for, great as he was, he yet was within the power of the
people. It wad in their power to take away his majority
from him. He had risen to too great a height to fall down
silently, and he (Mr. Cobbett) could warrant his audient...
that he would not. He could not now sneak out of office
(hear, hear). Tlle Duke was right in adhering to his de-
termination, and he (Mr. C.) trusted he would not now
flinch from it. But what was the cause of the existing
distress ? By the late changes the taxes imposed upon the
people had increased in a two-fold proportion. What then
lie would propose was this. Take off those taxes—(hear)
--remove the people from the burthon under which they
had too long groaned. The House of Commons had
been termed " the guardian of the public purse." What
kind of a guardian it had proved was too well known ;
but it was in their power to redeem the pledge they had
betrayed. It was for them to remove those taxes, and he
hoped they would yet come to a sense of their duty and
amend—(Hear.) The argument of Mr. Baring that
other nations were in distress too was not worth one rush,
and which he would not nowdesignate by any other te; m
than that of being very surprising—(Much liughter.
The distress of other nations might be great, but it was
not such as that which plunged men who had enjoyed the
happiness of independence into wretchedness and misery,
and taking them from their shops andwarehouses,and lodge
them in the cell of some dismal gaol. Various were the
remedies proposed for the relief of the distress, yet it had
never crossed the mind of those wiseacres that the taxes
were the great cause of the evil they were consulting to re-
move. What woo Mr.Maberley'e plan? Why it was this: to
coin some few thousand exchequer bills, down to as low
a sum as one pound ; so that when a gentleman came to
pay his coffee-house account, he had only to pull out an
exchequer bill, which the unfortunate landlord must not
refuse to take in exchange for his tea and coffee.--
(Laughter.)—Mr. O'Connell had proposed to do away
with the sinecure office of the lord lieutenancy of
Ireland, which he stated would be attended with a
saving of 30,0001. a year Such sinecures were a sad
cause of much of the distress that had long prevailed.
It was by doing away with those that the government
would do away with a great part of the taxes. He would
then warmly advise his audience to petition Parliament to
do away with those sinecures. If they did not complain,
what would be the inference? Why that they did not suffer.
The taxes that he would have them more particularly to
pray for the repeal of were those upon malt, hops, leather,
soap, and candles; and they should petition, not for a
partial, but a total repeal—not to leave so much to Le
collected as would cost the nation nearly as much
in employing tax-gatherers to collect. He would
then have them strongly to represent their grievances
to the government ; strongly to call for redress ;
and, especially, firmly to protest against a return
to the small paper currency.—(Cheers.) He had
before stated, that the House of Commons was de-
signated the guardian of the people's purse. How much
it deserved the appellation he would leave to his hearers
to decide. There was, however, one member ho could
not pass by who had lately set an example to the House
of Commons that they would do well to imitate. He
Alluded to the Marquis of B'Andford--(hear)—who, the
other day, on a motion for the house going into a com-
mittee of supply, rose and moved that no supply be
granted until the existing distress was relieved. His
proposition was strongly opposed, on the ground that
it would be very inconvenient. Still the noble marquis per-
sisted, and after considerable difficulty succeeded in di-
viding the house, when there appeared to be present hilt
twenty-eight members—a small number out of 658 to vote
away the property of the public. However the noble
Marquis's perseverance so far prevailed ; and he could
not conclude his lecture without moving a vote of
thanks to the Marquis of Blandford for the spirit he
displayed by this conduct; finally urging his audience,
in the strongest language, to petition and to urge the
Parliament, first, for the removal of the existing taxes ;
and, secondly, that they would resist any attempt to
adopt a system which must have the effect of bartering
away the King's money for a useless paper currency.
A vote of thanks, which we have noticed elsewhere,
was passed to the Marquis of Blandford, and the meeting
dissolved.

The works which have been for some years carrying
on at Windsor Castle, both exterior and interior, being
now nearly completed, upwards of 300 men, mechanics
and labourers, have, during the last four months, been
discharged.

CORN-EXCHANGE, MARK-LANE, Pm. It.
'lb Wheat Trifle eentinees dull; but the sales effected this
aikeeeMg were at Modal's prices. In Harley there was notlibli
gegeg. me Is it espeete4 te alter until something is (Mown et the
plans ee Minim as regards the repeal of the dude*. Oats coo.
dose at Yuan'. quotations.
COAL MARKET—Tins Day.
list Weiland Cells
Oillw eons ......► soe. 04. Ms. 04.
Map arrived daring cm =auk 304.—IhsrMe eke week, 73.
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