The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-12-06 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE LIVERPOOL ST"IND4RD.

Si it,—Happening to turn over a few pages of Baines's His-
tory of the County Palatine of Lancaster, I fell in with a pas-
sage so remarkably appropriate to the proceedings now before
our eyes, -that I beg to submit it to your notice, together with a
paraphrase ready cut and dried for the use of some future reform-
loving author. It would be impossible to doubt Mr. Baines's
love of reform, after perusing his sublime allusion to schedule A,
in page 308, or his relation of the rebellion of " Simon de Mont-
fort and the reforming barons of his day (tempore Henry III.,)
as flowing from that spirit of popular encroachment which does
not, and which ought nut, to rest, till its fair claims are satisfied."
Page 287, What the author means by fair claims of popular
encroachment and rebellion, he has not favoured us with. The
passage I refer to will be found in page 467, and is as follows :
(27 Hen. VIII.) The great (4 William IV.) The
visitation of monasteries was great visitation of municipal
commenced in the autumn of corporations was commenced
1535, when Cromwell, Chan- in the autumn of 183.3, when
cellor of the Exchequer, and Lord Brougham held the office
First Secretary of the King, of Lord High Chancellor and
filled the office of Vicegerent Keeper of the King's consci-
and Vice-General. The visits- ence. The visitation of the
tion of the- Lancashire monas- Lancashire corporations was
teries was made by Dr. Thos. made by Wilkinson and
Legh, and Dr. Richard Layton, T. J. Hogg, Esqrs. ; and their
and their original reports are original reports are to be found
in the Record Office of the among the many voluminous
Court of Receipt at Westmin- reports of this period, in the
ster, under the custody of the record room of the Commons
I4ordTreasurer.: The resolution House of Parliament. The
to dissolve the monasteries had resolution to subvert the Cor-
been already taken. The spirit porations had already been
in whichthis visitati,n was made taken. The spirit in which
clearly indicated that the reports this visitation was made clearly
were meant to form the ground- indicated' that the reports were
work for the dissolution of those meant to form the groundwork
institutions, and the consequent for the subversion of those
appropriation of their lands and institutions, and the consequent
revenues to the use of the exposure of their lands and
Crown. It cannot be denied resources to popular, or minis-
that the monastic institutions terial plunder. It cannot be
were subject to great abuse; denied that the corporate in-
and that under the specious ap- stitutions were subject to great
pearance of devotion to God, abuse, and that under the spe-
some of the first duties to man cious appearance of upholding
were neglected or perverted.— the throne, some of the first
But it must also be admitted, duties to the sovereign mob
that the collecting of exparte were neglected or perverted ;
evidence by stipendiary emissa- but it must also be admitted
ries, and the making of that that the collecting of exparte
evidence a ground for plunder- evidence by stipendiary einis-
ing the property of the Church, caries, and the making of that
was a proceeding full of jujus- evidence a ground for plunder-
tice, and an example that no ing the corporations of their
future age can imitate with im- vested rights, was a proceeding
pun ity." full of injustice."
I cannot follow our author to the final close of this extract,
for Tories have tamely submitted to, and reformers and radicals
have been aiding, assisting, and abetting,* with all their might,
in the worse than star-chamber proceeding, which is, and has
lately been enacting throughout England, but more particularly
at our house—part of the county palatine of Lancaster. Little
did the author think, that in penning a phillippic on the despotic
Henry, he was putting a rod in pickle for the Grey-goose ad-
ministration; threatening 'the reformed Parliament in his use of
the word impunity, and burlesquing the panegyric contained in
the 3008th page (Allis work on our gracious Sovereign.

* Mr. Thornely.