The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1841-12-21 00:00:00

LORD HOWICK'S EPISTLE ON CHARITY

To test the sincerity of a " liberal " politician's professions
as the special friend of the poor, it is only necessary gently to
hint to him to subscribe to their pressing necessities, and in
nine cases out of ten, we will vouch for it, he will shabbily
decline, heartlessly act the hypocrite in alleging that he is
prevented doing so from some " conscientious qualm " or
some voluntary rule he has selfishly adopted in such cases,
and chiefly mock the sufferings of his suppliants by telling
them that he is sincerely sorry for their situation, and regrets
that he cannot help them ; and if the knave pretends to
sanctimoniousness, it were a miracle if he do not tell them
that their severe privations are the result of bad tory legis-
lation ! The last sentiment is generally expressed with the
white of the " liberal " hero's eyes turned up, as if he were
going to faint in art exquisite paroxysm of humanity. We
have over and over again seen these general facts verified
in the practice of " liberal " politicians when appealed to for
substantial sympathy with the destitution of the poor, and in
such cases-nothing is got from them but canting expressions
of sorrow, and cold vows made as a cloak for the most
despicable greediness. To see this enacted with something
like perfection, it is only necessary to get amongst a group
of fanatic anti-corn-law leaguers or ignorant free traders, and
the farce will be witnessed in all the tact of an Old ailey
practitioner in feigned sensibility. But if these remarks re-
ceive illustrations from the conduct of the liberals generally,
they have been singularly verified by the recent conduct of
Lord Howick, in reference to some poor pilots at Sunderland
whose cobles had been destroyed, and to re-place which, a
subscription had been commenced by some benevolent indi-
viduals, the livelihood of these poor people entirely depending
thereon. As a representative of Sunderland, Lord Howick
was solicited to help this benevolent object, and to the re-
spectful memorial sent to him he has been pleased to return
the following answer : . .

Howick, Dec. 9, 1841

" received, a few days ago, a memorial from
Thomas Gibbons, George Gibbons, William Collin, and
William Watson, asking me to contribute to a subscription
which has been raised to replace their boats, which have been
recently lost, and requesting me to send my answer to you.
I regret that, having, in conformity with the advice of my
principal friends in Sunderland, determined to make a
general rule of not contributing, as member for the borough,
to any of the subscriptions for local objects, which are from
time to time raised in the town, I must now beg to be ex-
cused from any pecuniary contribution towards making good
the loss of these poor men, for which, however, I am very
sorry.--I am, your obedient servant,

" HOWICK
" Mr. J. Charlton, 26, Silver-street, Sunderland."

TWO LORDS JOHN

The Manchester Advertiser , a radical, but an honest, print,
contains the following pleasant and pungent contrast between
the Lord John Russell of and the Lord John of 1841 ;
betwixt my lord official, who 9
doggedly maintained constitu-
tionalfinality and landed inter:sitorepootderancy to the elec-
tors of Stroud, and my lord
thet an office, who pertly
and mendaciously insists with Plymouth gobernouches
that " taxes are paid to the landowners "
—his preponderant
interest—" at the expense of the
principles and community
con-
sistency at large." For
the sake of more patent illustration
of t
sistency of this " last " of the whigs, we place these memo-
rable passages of his political life in 18 ana 39 .
1t 1841 in juxta-
position :
1839. Bh-lnli.
Lord John, official lord, to Lord John, unofficial, to the
the electors of Stroud : plymounnies:—
" I will be a party to no al- " The united strength of
teration of the representation monopoly has defeated eour f-
1
as established by the Reform forts to abolish prohibitions
Bill." and prohibitory duties.,,
"It is necessary for the " The late administration
stability of our institutions endeavoured in vain to relieve
"
that the landed interest be the the country from those tam,
. preponderant one. ‘‘ bich are paid to the lan
td-
owners at the expense of e
community at large."

•
IMMENSE REDUCTION OF THE FRENCH ARMY.—Upon
the recommendation of Marshal Soult, his majesty Louis
Philipe has issued a royal ordinance reducing the strength of
the French army to the extent of one company per battalion,
together with 15,000 horses. The number of men thus to be
reduced is about 89,000, or rather more than oue-fifth of the
/paw: Comdient upon this most important announcement
would be
_superfluous. The saving to be effected by this
itteasure id estimated at 30,000,000 francs (£1,200,000 ster-
ling).