The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-06-21 00:00:00

COBBETT VERSUS THE WHIGS.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TRUE SUN.
Sin,-111 my letter, which appeared in your Paper on Satur-
day last, I era, by mistake of some one, made to say—" At a
recent meeting of that same county (Surrey), not one single
hand was held up expressing a want of confidence in the Minis-
ters, and expressing a des-lie that they should be turned out."
Now, Sir, this is precisely the contrary of what I did say,
which was this:—" Not one single hand was held up against a
resolution, expressing a want of confidence in them, and ex-
pressing a desire to have them turned out."
Having my pen in hand, let me observe, to the writers of the
Times and the Chronicle, that already more than twenty ad-
dresses have come to the King, praying him to dissolve this
present Parliament; and yet, if we believe these desperate
writers, the King is to share the fate of "Charles the First," if
he exercise his right in this respect ! In 1831, these same
writers threatened the King with the fate of "Charles the First,"
if he did not dissolve the Parliament ! This is a pretty life for
King to lead! " I'd sooner be a dog and bay the moon,"
than be a King, Capable of yielding to such threats as these.
The King will not yield to these threats ; but, of course, will
despise them, especially as he sees that his people are calling
for the very thing that these scribbling hacks appear to be so
much afraid of.
"A Tory ministry!" There are no terrors in that sound.
Every sensible man in the kingdom knows, that a Tory minis-
try now would not be what a Tory ministry was before. The
'fories see that they are now strong ; the lords see that they are
now strong, only because the Whigs are abandoned and repro-
bated by the people : the lords see that this abandonment and
reprobation has arisen from the cruel disappointment of the
people) from no regard having been paid to their sufferings;
and, people
course, the lords would take care to do some part, at
least, of the things which the people expected to have done. A
very little, comparatively speaking would have satisfied the
people for the present. 'the people were not unreasonably im-
patient. A repeal of the malt tax, and of the house and window
tax, would have satisfied them for this year, together with a
repeal of Sturges Bourse's bills, and of the Whig septennial
bill, for which measure the Marquis of Westminster himself
Seaking
moved in 117.
measures wouBlatisfie
for myself,
d have s d sae f I will say, that these
or the present, it being rea-
sonable that time should have been allowed for the removal of
such manifold grievances as, now exist, and have so long existed.
But, Sir, this Whig-thin„,, has
. done nothing for the people :
I verily believe from my soul, that a Boroughmonger Pasha-
Parliament has for the
ment would have done more than this
benefit of the people; because that Parliament would have en-
deavoured to reconcile the people to the representation, such as
it was ; whereas the Whigs haveundeeernemboldened by their im-
mense majority, got together thel name of a 'Reform, to
,dwebhile they are add-
refuse to do anything at allfor the
the interest of
childrent vet in the
jug millions upon millions to the narnpale
which must be discharged, if at all, by the,
cradle. For my
.part, sir, I most sincerely believe, that a turn-
ing out of this ministry would be a benefitgr/meeatselyesfurr
to
he the ci,oratTry',
and, instead of " the people arming themselves
(as the Times calls on them to do,) in order to keep this minis-
try ni,
g-
try in their places, I say it is the duty of every county, every
town, and every village, if possible, humbly to fiesee.c h-h" M.
jestv Lobe graciously- pleased to turn them adrift.
Vim, sir, are, we understand, prosecuted by these Whigs, or
on.deavouring to bring the House of Commons into cont empt ▪ 1
suppose there is no harm in endeavouring to briny the Howse
of
Lords into contempt! I suppose that the same law-officers who
have prosecuted you, would be complained of by the Tim•
es
and Chronicle, if they were to prosecute them for these insolent,
these contemptuous, these audacious, and these really. and truly
seditious attacks upon the House of Lords; fur doing which,
however, they may probably plead the example of certain per-
sons
belonging to a body, which it is unnecessary for me here
to name.

I have troubled you uselessly, perhaps; for again I say, that
from the north of Scotland to the Isle of Wight, from Dover to
Penzance, there is not one sensible and truly independent man
to be found, who is not anxious to see the change so much
dreaded by these two writers and their greedy patrons.
I should not wonder, Sir, if the Whigs were now suddenly to
turn about, and to bring forward something with a view of con-
ciliating the people ,• for their situation at this moment is truly
awful : abandoned by the people, and the heavy hand of the
Lords upon them? In all former cases they have had hop,
even after a defeat; but, if they be driven out now, the door is
shut against them for ever: it will be absolutely a political
death, and there will be nothing left of the Whig faction but the
hated name. They will die hard; they will kick and jerk and
struggle to the last moment; but, Sir, die they must; and you
will allow that it is mercy in me to give them this pull by the
heels!—[N.B. Petitions to the King may be forwarded from the
country to Members of Parliament, who can, at once, cause
them to be laid before his Majesty.] At the least, there is a
great probability of a dissolution of the Parliament at no dis-
tant day. The electors have now seen the fatal consequences of
their conduct at the last election. Ido beseech them not to be
cheated by the name of Whig, or Tory, or Liberal, or Radical,
or Reformer, or any other NAME. Let them insist upon these
things :—Repeal of the Malt Tax, of the House and Window
Tax, of the Septennial Bill, and of Sturges Bourne's Bills.
These two last cost nothing to the Government; their existence
yields nothing but a plentiful harvest of discontent. I have not
the smallest doubt that a change of the Ministry would give us
these things, and then we should have time to consider of further
changes, without throwing every thing into the air at once, like
the stupid and greedy Whigs; who, while they are actually
making a revolution, while they are tossing Bishops, and Deans
and Cluipters overboard, and bringing the Jews to supply their
place, manifestly show that they intend to do no one thing for
the advantage of the peolde. Their hack writers seem to be aim-
ing at producing a conviction in the minds of the people that
the House of Lord. ought to be destroyed ; but, Sir, let the people
reflect fora moment on what their situation would be, if there
were anthill* anywhere to controul the proceedings of that as-
sembly which rescinded the vote on the malt tax ; let them con-
sider what our situation would be, if King and Lords were de-
prived of their real constitutional power, and we were left to be
governed solely by that assembly ! I need say not another
word; the bare thought is enough to drive a man mad. I am,
Sir, your most obedient servant, W. COBBETT.
Bat-court, Sunday. June 16.