Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1817-06-24

from England mention that MIR. Nansittart pro-
poses an issue of two or three millions in ex-
cheQuer b;ils-in other words, means TO b0r-
money TO that amount, to be appropriated
to the relief of the poor. n miserable resource
indeed-and il il were not, what a strange aud
unnatural situation is this? How eXtraordna-
~ to see the descendants of those sturdy Sax
ons, who, says Blackstone, thought it beneath
the dignity of freeman 10 coree or TO 90, or
tn do any other tang AT the FIRST summons, re-
duced Ia subsist upon the charity of their opu-
lent rulers. We read in Holy Writ, that the
Prime Minister of the King OF Esyptpurchas-
ed first the lands and then the persons of the
Egyptians for bread. \ very doubtful exam
Pile OF political morality, to he sure. But here
the monied men and landhoiders in England,
purchase the command OF the land and services
of the people With borrowed money, for which
they compel or persuade the people themselves
10 pay the interest This is something beyond
the niachiavelism of Joseph.
The capitalists are of course in great de-
gree untouched By this distress. Some of the
smaller class, whose condition borders OH that
OF the labOurer. are compelled to relinqu,sll
their farms or their work shops, and resort to
the parish, while the middling retrench their
comforts and Injuries, and accommodate them-
selves, as well as they can, to the state Of the
times. Meanwhile the great laIdhoiders and
stockholders, the princes and mobiles and roy
nj merchants look down upon all this misery
from an inaccessible commemorative read Just
as spcndid accounts of their drawing rooms
and levces their routs and balls, and all their
~
few useless siuccures have indeed been rein-
pushed by their holders. and the Regent him.
self has contributed 5o,o0ol. from his private
purse. Butwe know that he viii not indulge
in one expense the less, and what is reduced
from the civil list will be added to the next
schedule of his dcbts.-He, poor man, seems
to he quite insensibie that amy Thing eXtraordi-
nary is going on. excepting now and then
when he is saluted by his people with very
different shonts from those of appreciation:
and in the heatof last wiuter's political fer
ment, employed himself most phiiosophically,
and i'll a very prnceiy way, by inventing and
designing the patterns OF embroidery tor
new set of court dresses to be worn by his
courtiers at levees and drawing rooms.
Now ii may be said that il is no great mat
ter what becomes of the liborers, as long as
the great and the rich remain in fourishing
situation. We may be told. perhaps in more
plausible language, that the educated aud cul-
tivated ranks of society ara higher in the
scale of mind than the rest, and that one indi-
vidual of refinement and intellect is really of
more Importance than Il thousand of the igno-
rant and british poor. do not say that this
has been sad or will he said but if it should
be. ii NAV be briefly answered. l. That il is not
true that the very highest class of society is
materially more estimable on the score of re-
hnement and intellect than the lowest-a pro-
position which shall not stop to illustrate
and which no thinking man will deny: aud >
That lift were true, IL is not III nature that
such state of things as The centempla-
ted should exist. Convince the laborer, il YOU
can, that he is bound in duty 10 give al lie can
get, by the sweat of his brow, 10 his idle neigh.
Dor, and starve quietly, because his neighbor
has had tine better education ofthe two. No,
sir; the truth is, when the great mass of the
population is distressed, the nation suffers
when they are prosperous. it is we'll with the
people, AND in this view Of tile subject the ST.
tuation of the great and rich is so insignificant
that it should be hardly taken into the esti-
mate.
1t is not however precisely from the extent
OF this distress that deduce the proof of the
political crisis alluded TO above, nor dol sup
pose that the sufferings of the people will pro.
duce Immediately ANY thing like serious insur-
rection or revolution. The suspension of the
Habeas Corpus Act has been submitted to al
most without mnrmnr, and the slight, tumu,-
tnary riots chat preceded it, were suppressed
at once. The causes of this distress and lis
connection ritt the financial eniJmrassments of
the government, are what max es it so particu.
larly ominous and alarming. and upon these
subjects snail take the liberty Of submitting
a few remarks 10 your consideration in a sub
sequeut letter