The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1849-01-16 00:00:00

Jan. 16, 1849.

CORRESPONDENCE.

3IR. ROBERTSON GLADSTONE AND MAJOR-
GENERAL SIR W. NAPIER.

-- `nom EDITOR OP THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD.
SlR,—in the London Times of the 6th instant there is
Et letter signed " Robertson Gladstone, President of the
Financial Reform Association," in which he attempts to
disprove a charge made by Sir W. Napier, Major-Gene-
21t,hColonel of the 27th Regiment, in the Times of the
arisingtrutioefpafr:Doitinelicsivehmber, " of the Association, knowing the
aitg
otpdeufealisne:uiorry.,publishing in ignorance
g Mr. Gladstone's letter, I was forcibly struck
with the truth of Sir W. Napier's charge, for Mr. Glad-
:4)lle 'flakes assertions in that letter, relative to the truck
ystem as
as re letting :Posed to truth as falsehood can be. lam
picnoce,anrfsseiciintticteide, from the insinuation conveyed relative to con-
Parts of Kilkenny and Tipperary, that he
acquainted with such letting as he is with the
taitenrilal Portcy of the Japan Islands. Now I wish to be
Y onderstood that I do not for a moment enter-
truth4,t,,hidea that Mr. Gladstone would, knowing the
merchants Publish the false ;—his high position amongst the
of England—as honourable a class of men,
I,a i' most honourable, with the single exception of
~,ngland's aristocracy, on ie face of the earth, forbid the
thought .
lished,--but the falsehood is not the less because pub-
and bY a gentleman of Mr. Gladstone's high standing
for
character ; for who that knows Mr. Gladstone would
~a4.4,'. moment question his veracity when detailing . facts
Does
orweheicollf ttruhthy, themselves might not be acquainted
the not his high character stamp his assertions with
which therefore become pre-eminently
rega-nger3aa when they are false ? But can there be any
utteranceogi ve n why such a man could in any instance give
theoretical to a falsehood ? Yes ; for when designing,
experimentalists succeed in securing the sup-
Fain ,of honest men, they by little and little instil the
port ;roods into their minds by which they desire to sup-
elates their system, and when they have their honest asso-
theca fully indoctrinated into their opinions, they make
ta the •--- A, •
una,oe,,,.
nu,outupiec.e of their false facts, thereby sending
Eici;e"io ed to society that which, coming from. them-
teateT would be received with the utmost caution, and
supposeith the greatest carefulness. But is it natural to
his that Mr. Gladstone would give the sanction of
Ye:lame to the unproved assertions of his associates .
suppose quite
that because before he joined them I must
frankness by bY their special pleading, sophistry, apparent
With th a, or some other means, he became impressed
therefor e idea that their purpose was honest ; he. must,
ta,:eassseer,jorneeseive and believe their assertions as fully and
his a erredlY as he world have them receive and believe
, ald he therefore becomes the godfather to
at stse tions of his wil - acsociates-
sto oufTF for the assertions which I accuse Mr. Glad
truth, vt'iviiig utterance to, without a knowledge of their
that the—na saYs, evidently' for the purpose of showing
ill at„„-LaeaPiers of land in general, and Sir W. Napier
ltruck ..,-41‘' are a heartless set of men, " that. if the
abourers`'stain exists at all, it is where taling is given to
,tlO
refer h' a a
laos wd.a,g,es at £l2 a load, while good wheat sells
In answer to this assertion, I woold
farmerinl„ ti° the letter of " J. L.," a Somerset rentoig.
' If tii published in the same Times as his own. Again . ties
ab e truck
system exist at all, it is on certain proper-
to sir .(''....t Kilkenny and Tipperary, probably not unknownt
bag ' Piee the field labourer is paid by le -
aPieira:
ateaderato° Plant potatoes at £B, £lO, £l2, or £l4
calculate Now, sir I never met a statement so grossly
tni;repLsent facts as this. I believe that
istnitlreoguot:otedeicsitelth.tat the truck system is defined, by wages paid
se aexorbitant price above the market value of
ILA. NOW, sir what are the facts of this mon-
Pot tns tr—' system tif conacre letting of land to plant
for aCes .ou, which should be quoted at £6, £B, or £10,1.e
lettin. with much experience of the system of ceorn a c
acre
heing''.eannot remember three instances of £l2 p
lord, elver, ? The occupier of the land has to land-
pa% d
pi.e 8 rent, rates taxes manure the land, plou.g an
vittaivirte i.t
Gladstone
the Led, v.clich by a few figures will show
syste kaiadstone designates one of the existing truck
-.4:---

s. d. s. d.
b_ ord,s
vises a rent 14 acre 2 0 0 Received for conacre 10 0 0
rlouthind taxes do. 010 0 Loss to occupier .... 3 5 0
_ fr_lß and 'preps'.
1‘...,ur seed ........ 0 15 0
guts of in
2s, anure, at
......... 10 0 0

£l3 5 0 £l3 5 0
leis Again the the Irish farmer prepares about one-third of his
°ti, and for potatoes, a part of which he lets to his
l labourers, the small shopkeepers, tradesmen, and
hi,:rs,' ia the adjoining village or town ; a part he plants
wired.; and a part he has to dispose of in a manner that
plainrather surprise Mr. Gladstone, and which I.will ex-
b •
pars Y and by. Now the field labourer in no instance
IT4 nlore for his conacre than the shopkeeper or trades-
e briewttil° paysand if one part of the land to be let
lais_ ter than an which is always the case, the field
tr
wouldask Mr. Gladstone where is the
7,,, er gets it. I
high' system here, where
the great profits ? where the
Gladls)rlce above the. market value of the article. But Mr.
aball,;one, perhaps, cannot conceive why the occupier
troa,ll not have a profit_ on a conacre. Now, Sir, I will
the tte You with a further proof that he has not. After
bo„ 'arvest is gathered in, the farmer allow. s. his field la-
eet„, ~ , nal y to pull the stubble remag after the_
uess.' this they take home and rot in their pig-sties and
adjoiParls, mixing it with the sweepings of the road
fartneru their cabins, and for this manure the
has nottaeas that Part of his prearedland for which he
wards landiou,,rd himself, without receiving one penny to-
knew a um--`, 8 rent, rates, taxes, or tillage; and I never
land on ,i,II paring any trouble to get free and prepared
From th.""lea to put his manure and grow potatoes.
Prov 'se facts which I challenge Mr. Gladstone to
stem -
bringing ell, will 's
the instead of the conacre sy
quotecht-e farmer largev profits, which the high price
lead b. "37 Mr. Gladstone without explanation wouldn
,bare saidsarteaders to believe, his two succeeding crops of cor
il he las-td With three years rent, rates, taxes, and tillage.
is the sett of truck system named by Mr. Gladstone
Meals
ofliament of wages in the above localitimese,abl.y,,twol
thiuk iv, Potatoes and milk, and one of yellow
throp 1%, Gladstone displays very little of that philan-
lish ..Y which is one of the high characteristics of the Eng-
Irisliintiernan, by exposing the poverty of the struggling
cial alluer associates; is laourers to the sneers o.f his Finan-
aud Reaerra
associatni bold to say that neither Mr. Gladstone nor his
"°rtri es sold
with their labourers (though their
striek °us wealth is produced by them) as the poverty-
-14)3,4: Irish farmer does with his. In the one case, the
Mere, r Is not known to the employer; he is left to the
ore"ri the overseer or warehouseman, and perhaps a
cot '1 of the truck system, not known to the employer
May benxed at by him. In the other case, the labourer
at the said to be part of the employer's family , he sits
strufr ,saMe table, and partakes of the same fare; his
erages to suPport his family are minutely knoawgnnitfioeehnits
dweiber ; he cannot shut himself up
/votloz_,,g',aud bar his door against the ainpparomach of his
conle himir or children. No ; they ralways wel-
"Il cliit ; he divides his little means withhathem Lhis.
culti„'"iculties make him feel and understand the di
give ' I,v others • and out of his poverty he generouslymeh
o,f_ es
t,,,,-•°,_w, sir,' I would ask Mr. Gladstone how
or
the
deaTi• °K system he can discover. in conacre letting,
4 would between the Irish farmer and his. labourer ?
lying " earnestly desire that he would inquire for him-
aild if he finds that he has been imposed on byenthlde
Izakea,sSertions of others, I think his good sense w
Lloctri..uirki at once withdraw from an association whose
jk,ro,_4es.are supported by such means.
-nich7'. sire
few words. on the real question at issue,
iti Is, when stri oed of the clouds with which the
rnaaaocial Reformers would darken it, so simple that an
ny
°lldelierssesshig an average share of common sense caes
kr. 6-and it. Are the pay and emoluments (or profits,_ _
It ap
doe Gland
calls it) of colonels of regiments, which
koeill'e)ars ot average more than £l,OOO a-yearr,e o_e Way, f I believe that the best and most philantfherefin
right ?r,alr• Gladstone or any other person, to
Wouidtgment of what a colonel's pay ought to be,
lind s eto
fancy themselves a colonel fora sh?rt time
1 thihete fat would satisfy themselves in such a situation.'
at 4,7,1,
,Mr. Gladstone did so, he would not be found
malign - ~eau of
an Association, one of whose objects is to
seolir Government for their extraordinary and pro-
hesiohileral,,itY to colonels. Let us suppose Mr. Gladstone
°lli ;411i afe again, and entering the army as a subaltern
elleceaslv`tb a Pay which, after providing himself with the
eonld a clethes in which an officer of the lowest rank
of life "Pear, would not afford him the merest necessariestor
two_ or
v support. Let us follow him for the next en life, we Years, which, in the ordinary course of military
liavio Tild bring him very little addition to his pay
4 oug,.'e submit to a severe discipline, doing duty now
the L,uPerate climate, next in the scorching climes of 1%4)111,7; or West Indies,' again in the frozen clim.et. of
.111bject'llzerica, at all prepared to defe.ndriis
;'..et us 8, their rights and property, from their. enemies.
Just
~. so"pose that he now gets a company with a pay
tet 'lluseufollow
satae
severe support himself with the greatest economy.
whim for the next twenty years. having the
hitt,. „ utyto perform. Let us suppose him now,
celorrlteirr(ty
Years' active service, arriving at the rank of
I°ltutlat \a\ ncl the officer that does so deems himself very
eotra,--,,e): would Mr Gladstone's financial feelings be
Porp'e" bY receiving the 'sum of £l,OOO a-year from the.
ion cement ? But let us not forget that, along with his
Putebaesrvice, he has to pay from £7,500 to £9,000 as
111,1stee'll'°neV for this rank, which sum I think. Mr.
Drospe flle would not like to put into business without
°,7grieweeiyeitrtalueakin £l,OOO a-year. I think. you will
, sir, that if Mr. Gladstone faithfully re-
heaiti7 the severe discipline and duty, exposure to un-
toooej s,ad differe t climes,i small pay and large purchase-
liot b;'',ltist the Britishnofficerhas to submit to, he would
bleb. 'resident of
%adstl,olledePendenglinstshecirs old age. But perhaps Mr.
seas arelle and his associates think that colonels and offii 4gre WithaUseless set of men ; if they do, I for one cannot
of vs_ tb_.
'"4 I will not attempt to go into a detail
troo;t7.1114113, benefits that England derives from her
that tb'e ?tie will be quite enough for my purpose. I feel
4, erIY of laws of England secure the life, liberty, and pro-
__the wo`gar People. I.believe that in no other country
by, how„, sUch security can be found. I know that
t-ero, however such
without power to force obedience to
and w 4,1 e useless. In the ell r anised, well-disciplined
that ell'officered y well-organised,
ienggland, I see the power,
traterailes her lawasrmrespnected,- and inasmuch as I am
bcPeraueer those
good and respected laws, I dread the
4111 Y ruck .1:11alist that would interfere with their support,
1111; j.ellig the pay of our officers or the strength of our
lON.
'llaarY, 1849.

tut
9f a ...1114

" Se e7alloile, rlrt:tALni:exrepioseor laanstweek, and was drowned.
I ed
walked
to e vv, said an Hibernian journeyman, who he p
latiter of out, " how he wouldn't take advantage of the
'''' Ripe uP himself."