New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-02-24
THE LECTURE.


At the beginning of this century the great mass
of the people of England were in a wretcheu con-
dition Ever since the best days OF Frederick 'ne
Great the policy of the Government had been
draining the country of money to snoSldize Tie
s,amaller European powers. DECIDED ieao,'on
against liberal principles had set IN. Pitt, VINO hau
begun his great career by bringing forward pro-
ject of parliamentary reform, had taken alarm az
The French Revolution. and under the influence OF
his fear had established not only tyranny out
tyranny of a very oppressive kind 1t is not 100
much TO say that he became one OF the foremost OF
the despots of his time The Habeas Corpus was
suspended q stringent alien law was passed
clcrevu,en and other educated persans were doomed
10 TRANSPORTATION fOl the mere EXPRESSION OF imputed
sedition all who doubted the wisdom of the war
were looked upon as scdltous persons; and, finally.
the Seditious Meetings Bill III 1896 was 50 oppres-
siye that Fox aud Others withdrew from the House
while II was under consideration The resources of
the Bank became exhausted, and in 1907 specie
payments suspended.
Meantime the relations OF England TO the CONT
mental Powers had become most unfortunate. Bona
parte had succeeded in enbroilng her with all the
nations on the Baltic that before the last months
of the century were passed Russia, Sweden and Den
mark were bound into firm confederation against
her While the Car burning English vessels
in Russian ports, and while the Danes were supply
ing the French with arms aud stores Napoleon was
arranging for peace with all the Continental Powers
in order that he might concentrate his forces upon
England. To add to the danger, dlscontents of the
most violent kind were rife in the English Army
and Navy. In April 1897, when the fleet at Spit
head was ordered to proceed to sea, vessel after YES
sci refused TO weigh anchor The mutiny spread
and threatened to deprive the Nation of its defence
in the very hour of its danger Nor was subOrdn-
alton fully restored until Parliament had taken the
matter in hand and had granted money to tho in
subordinatcs.
SOCIAL RELATIONS OF TIE PEOPLE.
The social relations OF the people were also such
rs to increase the grounds of apprehension In
1901, the first census in Great Britain was taken
fact which reminds us by how short distance
we are as yet removed from tho dark ages. The
fact was revealed that there were in England and
Wales at the outset of the century about 100000
souls. The proportion of persons directly de-
pendent on agricultural prosperity was much
larger at the beginning of the century than It is at
the present day. Distress in case of failure of crops
was therefore much greater. For five years there
had been a succession of deficient haIvests In the
year 1900 the price of wheat had arisen to los.
Id per quarter or about 81 bushel The people
had to pay 50 cents loaf for bread, and 80 cents
pound for butter. In large districts shel-fsh took
the place If meats, and potatoes came to be gen.
cral substitute for bread.
The consequence of these abnormal prices
ciety ms whole was to throw it into condition not
only of distress but of great instability While the
laborers could hardly keep the wolf from the door,
the farmers profited by the general distress. Spec
ulation moreover, was rife, Positions in society
were often reversed Many who had lived in abun-
dance. if not in afluence, found themselves sud
denly poor. Others who had the fragrance of the
soil still about them set up establishments and put
on airs positively shocking to the old aristOcracy of
the country. And these were the ones who upheld
Mr. Pitt and the King, and the war and the coun-
try. Thus. while the oppression grew more ana
moro severe. while poOT-rate of millions had TO be
gaised annually to prevent actual starvation, the
landowners and farmers were constantly lettering
their condition. They began to show that
they could keep open house. and send their daugh-
ters to q high priced school. We make mistake If
we suppose that sboddy is an American product. 1t
existed in perfection in England in the days Of Ma
poleon. Fortunes we're suddenly made, and cOnse-
ouently il was time of violent social changes, of
feversh ambitious of senseless specuations of dis
astrous failures Major Pendenns was willing to
sponge his dinners ont of his friends in order that
his nephew might have the means of allying himself
with somebody higher than J.auraf and Sir Barnes
Newcome was almost willing to fight rather than
allow his sister to marry anybody less than baron.
The Buudlecund Banking Company made few men
rich and when it burst it reduced thousands to
poverty: but while the fortunate continued to be
pointed at as objects of envy the sad fate Of the
impoverished was rapidly forgotten.
Meanwhile the condition Of the operative class
grew worse aud worse Since the laborer then AT
work had begun life, wages had not very greatly
increased but the expense of living had become
four-fold more. Liability to military service con-
stantly threatened to take a man away from his
family Ii was not strange that riots ensued. The
annual registers Of the time abound in notices Of
outbreaks on occasion of the enrolling OF militia
and the muster-rolls were in several instances
burned by the mob. Addresses TO the King were
prepared so theoretically w6rded bat the nags-
traes felt compelled to ride into the assembsges to
stop the public reading =" Most of the counties,
cities aud towns" Of the registers, petit
toned his Majesty for the removal of ministers and
the consequent restoration Of peace" Nor was the
opposition of the of the people to the policy
of the Government unnatural. The Nation was
fighting for an idea in which the of the peo-
ple had no interest and which, indeed. they were
utterly unable to comprehend. To raise the ncces-
sary means of carrying on the war taxation was IN
cenious and excessive. 1t was levied upon property
aud income, upon bread and salt. upon the house
over their heads aud the sOlcs under their feet
The weight Of the burden may be estimated from
tho fact that during each of the last years of Pitts
Administration the amount levied and paid INTO the
treasury not less than the enormous sum of
100000, 900 or $3.50, 900 ,000-at time when the
people of the island numbered not more than about
100000. The price of butter was trebled; the
price of bread was auadrupled the poor rate was
auintupled and the tax on salt was 81 buslel.
The country was filed with OutcIies and deputa-
tons and demands aud petitions. 1t must indeed,
have been q bitter thing at such time. to mil
lions upon millions voted to carry on the war; and
other millions voted rewards to military and ia.
val officers
THE TWO GREAT CLASSES.
LII a,,d .,Inaio