The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-05-28 00:00:00

THE 1,1VER.1:001, STANDARD

at the gate, hat in band, for many a day, and we rejoice
to say has had a most brilliant and successful career.—
The sums he has realized may not be equal to the national
debt, but they are more than any human being, except
himself, can calculate. He, like O'CONNELL, has paid
his respects to all ranks and classes of men. As a proof
of his high spirit and noble liberality, he has condescend-
ed to accpt half-crowns from passing strangers, sixpences
from journeymen weavers, and pence from the nailers of
Birmingham and its happy environs. It was all grist to
his mill, whether it came in the shining gold, the moon-
light shilling, or the brown half-penny—emblem of au-
tumn and the woods!

And why not ? Is not Mr. BUCKINGHAM next to Lord
GREY, and Lord JOHN' RUSSELL, the saviour of his coun-
try ? Are we not indebted to him for the blessings of free
trade ? Did he not teach the Paella of EGYPT how to grow
cotton on the banks of the Nile, and how to dispose of it
on the banks of the Mersey ? Did he not fathom the
depths of the Rod Sea, and attempt to dig a canal across
the Isthmus of Suez ? Did he not establish a newspaper
on the banks of the Ganges, which to him was worth

,V4OOO a year, and which had it not been suppressed by a
foolish government, would have made a hundred millions
of people intimately acquainted with the science of poli-
tical economy ? In short, what has Mr. BUCKINGHAM not
done for the civilization of the known and the unknown
world ?

,As a reward for these inestimable services it was
some few years ago proposed to send the now honour-
able member for Sheffield on a voyage of discovery. He
was to discover the longitude and new markets for the
consumption of British manufactures. He promised to
do more for England in one year, in his own good ship,
well provided with subscribed stores and borrowed goods,
than has been done for her by the governments of the
last century. He was to teach and sell—barter and con-
vert—preach and buy—instruct and exchange—in all the
golden markets of an undiscovered country.
In order to enable Mr. BUCKINGHAM to carry this
splendid and profitable speculation into effect, a meeting
was held in July, 1830—" his royal highness" (so his
begging book, just published by himself, informs us)
" the Duke of „Sussex in the chair." At this meeting,
he tells us, that " resolutions approving of the plan itself,
and recommending its execution to be confided to Mr.
BUCKINGHAM, as in every respect qualified for the com-
mand, were moved by the Duke of SOMERSET, Lord
DURHAM, Lord JOHN RUSSELL, Sir SIDNEY SMITH, Ge-
neral BENTHAM, LEICESTER STANIIOPE, and others; and
a long list of the most distinguished nzen in Englund
gave it their avowed patronage and support."
The chief merit of the plan consisted in raising the re-
quired sum of money. The "most distinguished men in
England" had influence enough to induce various sim-
pletons to subscribe small sums of money. The begging
box went round with unceasing regularity. The ho-
nourable projector himself travelled the country in the
arduous task of delivering lectures and collecting the
ways and means. Nu stone was left unturned to get in
the money. " Put money in my purse" was his motto.
In a single word Mr. BUCKINGHAM did his duty, and at-
tended to his business like a practical philosopher.
But we deeply lament to state that the subscription did
not thrive. The cash did not come tumbling in so freely
as was expected ; and after the most extraordinary exer-
tions the plan failed, because the stupid public would not
bleed. Mr. BUCKINGHAM states the sad result of these
exertions to be as follows :