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T0 THE MEMBERS OF THE NAHONAL IiAND COMP...
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S™ Uh ... 4 House Thomas Smith ... 10 Ga...
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OUR BAILIFF AND HIS BALANCE SHEET.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
Additionally, when viewing full transcripts, extracted text may not be in the same order as the original document.
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T0 The Members Of The Nahonal Iiand Comp...
T 0 THE MEMBERS OF THE NAHONAL IiAND COMPANY . yx Bkiovko Chodbsk , j think that those who . supposed that a ^ ssation torn p ^^^ tation had damped J-Tardcar , or dwunished my . energyy will xlaaver their mistake when they peruse ; tins % A * 8 Star- You who look to oar gkwi- . *^ Land Plan as the onl y means of redemp-S from degraded poverty to manlyindepenjL gg will need no apology for the amount of oace ' devoted to the Land question ia this
Peek ' s Star . *> * uyuu . shwuu require a Sn yon ™& discover it in the fact that no feUer than six newspapers , each with its full implement of ruffians , devoted column after r tiainn to abuse of me , during my absence n ponthe Continent , making their hi gh-minded J rup les about your pencethe pretext for asking , not only my conduct as your treasurer and bailiff , but actually trying to hunt out of ^ v whole existence incidents connected with jny p rivate character , as a means of destroying your confidence . When you have maturely deliberated upon $ e source from whence these fabrications have come , you will understand that consideration for von was not even a mere secondary thought , and that their primary object was to gratif y their vengeance against one who had raised
two of these creatures from positive penury to absolute independence—I mean Hobson and Ardill . The one has assumed the name of the 'Lancashire Weaver Boy , and , when discovered in his disguise , then assumed his own name ; the other has been , the ' Arithmetical Correspondent of the Gardener Florist ? ( Lloyd ' s papier ) , and a very pretty sum he has worked , a very pretty ass he has made of himself . This was the gentleman who kept my books for seven years , and wMch his friend Hobson declared were falsified by me to the amount of £ 2 , 000 . to bring Mr JoMjQteave in my debt to that extent . . "' " " " "'~ I now give yon the following letters from Mr John Ardill , relative to his friend Hobson ' s mode of transacting business . Here they are : —
«• . Leeds , Dee . 7 th , 1842 . It would be right- now to have a day at the old machine , Job at the old machine by da ; and Gregg at the Hew machine by night—Hobson wag a perton who use < J io fold on Thursdays trad Fridays , Sim-{ soncts * brother wetting paper . £ s . d . This week , there is ... i 18 8 •• ••• ••• © v «•• •*• - lw U
5 14 8 for what was done by one man and two boys . Will Brown working in Benson ' s shop when not laying on , and Pallister working in Hobson ' s office when not t aking off : it should have been £ 2 . 10 s . 8 d . The game may be said of the other weeks . Yours , Jobs Ardill . Now , that ' s pretty well for a beginning , and I pray your attention to the second : —
Leeds , Dec . 14 th , 1842 . ' I now come to the question of wages . I am aware that yon said Hobson should be paid weekly , bat yea also said that his salary should be stopped out of the overcharges . The sooner we get these things settled the better ; and if you will write me the following or some such letter , we shall get more right—say , ' You are in error about the portraits , the price is 6 ! d ., not 7 $ d . as you make it , and that will bring in . £ 750 ., which should enable us to pay ready money for everything . I don't understand yeur account of the wages , nor do I understand how you make the profits only £ 10 . a week , as you state in
year return for the Income Tax . Bow , all these things I wish to have explained . ' Now , if you write this and pest it on Saturday , Hobson will receive it oa Sunday , and I will answer it , and the more we are separated in all these things the better . There are other things as well as wages that want settling . It is not right to charge 6 J . an hour for Hobson ' s apprentices laying on and taking of in the machine room , aad then there ' s insurance j we pay on £ 3 , 900 . while one half of the property , or nearly so , belongs to Hobson , and all is insured in his name . lam aware that you told him to insure , bat then he should hire done so in your name . Then there ' s coals ,
and gas , and rent—want settling as well as wages . I am not for COMMUNITY when the payments are all on one side , as coals , gas , and insurance , or partially so as rent . The landlord comes here and rasa our rent—he has done so three times In two years—but he does ' nt raise Hobson ' s . Hobson took his for fire years upon the understanding that his rent should not be raised , so all falls upon us ; and the landlord says , ' I know my bargain with you Mr Hobson , but 1 am speaking about these premises , ' and the consequence is , that we are paying more than our neighbours , while Hobson is paying so nrachfthe less . Yours ,
Johx Abdul . Now , my children , I ask you if you ever heard fraud more clearly exposed , or if you ever knew of a more villanousway of exposing'it . Here were two fellow-servants , professing to confide in each other ; and this is the way that one observes the compact towards the other ; and this is the manner in which Mr Ardill represents Mr . Hobson as treating me : but I have other letters which followed these , but cannot yet divulge their contents , as I shall need them for another purpose . I have one—a statistical one—covering no fewer than
twenty-four pages , setting forth the manner in which Mr . Hobson had discharged his duties as printer and publisher of the Northern Star . 1 presume that those gentlemen built upon my fears , or my weakness—which is forgiveness—when they thus entered , the field of strife ; but what will you say of my disposition when I tell you , notwithstanding the information given of my affairs by my clerk , that 1 never even mentioned the affair to Mr Hobson , though he was in my employment for three years subsequently . "What will you say of one « f these men charging me with having
falsified my books as to Cleaves account , while John Ardill , my bookkeeper , and Joshua Hobeon , my editor , knowing that Cleave was in my debt to a considerable amount , took six months to arrange Mr Cleave ' s affairs , and without whose assistance Mr Cleave was not able to say what money he paid , or what money he received . It was not my intention to have made the sli ghtest comment upon this affair of Cleave ' s until the arbitration was closed : but as Mr Hobson has thought proper to charge me with so heinons a crime , I will now give you that portion of the evidence * hich bears upon this point of the case .
^ iMSATIGS OP UBS B 1 DEH BEFORE THE ABBIIBAI 0 B . I used to wash at Hobson ' s house , Ardill was Ini ugtbere , and I remember when Hobson was dis-« arged from the Northers Stab—I was there the py he came in , and be said' John will you help me « Pack up , ' Ardill sa « d , « I must settle the books as I SjPposemy turn will comeEext * * Well . ' said Hobson , ^ Jou help me to pack . I'll help you to do the books , ' and they sat down aMifferent times to the books ; "e time I was speakingof they were in the parlour , ^ Q Ardill said , * I must have ' them readyit would
, jjot co for O'Connorto see them in this way , these pires want altering , and these cgurea want alter-?| . and I saw them and heard them at tnis three ° * t : rectdays , and then they took the books up stairs , ^ a A 1 k Hobson told me that they were at the books , and that she had orders from Ardill not to give the « toks to any one without a note from him . She Jever mentioned the subject to Mr O'Connor , nor Sever spoke to him twice in her life , but she mentioned it to her husband , when eheheard there was to he la w about the books *
Cross-examined by Mr Peteredorff : —No , » he could ? ot be mistaken about the words' eettling ' and' alter-Jf , ' she was sure it was' altering , ' fer she saw them doin g it—they used to go sometimes into the kitchen , J * d sometimes into the parlour , and were always at « e bai . kp , acd then they took them upstairs , and I " ° n * t know what they done with them there . ¦^ ow , that ' s the only part of the evidence I « all publish until the proceedings are over , * or should I have hinted at it in the Northern & t { * r , did not this rascally charge , of falsif ying
* ty books , demand the explanation from me . I dare say that both you and the world at ^ ge will be astonished when I lay before you , <> ue uf these days , the most simple , p lain , and ^ ar account of the rise and progress of the wrlhern Star , and the fortunes that have been made by it , while it has never left me , h l Palmiest days , 4 l . a week to spend . I have j ! * done with this subject , which has been jj « d upon me j and what think you of the glared Hobson , writing a letter in the Man-* £ «»• Examiner of last Saturday , which ; coneJ a « es thus : — i
T0 The Members Of The Nahonal Iiand Comp...
i ma Discussion I have not fought 11 have been wagged into it . The Whistler * having related-some things of and concerning me that were not wholly correct , I took the liberty of declaring the truth ; thereupon Mr O'Connor challengedoxaaa witness against him , offering to ' pay my expenses ; ' and though I would not meet him on such a ground , and uuder > uch circumstances , he shall find that I do not thmk from meeting him on a 'far stage . ' - Respectfully , Joshua Hobson . Hudderefield , Oct . 29 , 1847 . Now , then , what do you think of this beast charging me with p lunder to the amount of 5 , 000 / . and upwards , snapping at every item in the balance sheet , lying about being
discharged for his attempt to put the Land Flan upon a firm basis , my ungenerous treatment of him , my fraud upon the several agents and shareholders of the Northern Star ; and last , though not least , falsif ying the books of the Northern Star , to bring John Cleave 2 , 000 / . in my debt—then reducing it to : 1 & OOL , then to a less amount , and then , when swearing , bullying , and blustering , would ' nt do ; and when I discovered that I would not be let off , offering 2501 to compromise ? And this is the gentle youth , the modest disputant , who has had the discussion forced upon him , who only corrected j a few errors of the " Whistler / ' forgetting that he had published every one of his letters before I ever mentioned his name , and then I did so no further than merely to give his friend , the " Whistler , " the benefit of his evidence at my expense .
Having now purged my character , which is dear to you , of every simple charge that the malignity of those savages would trump up , I turn to the consideration ef what is important to you . Firstl y , my children , to convince you that your father has not lost his energy , let me describe to you what my last week ' s performance was . On Monday nig ht I was at the Crown and Anchor , and sat up till three o ' clock in the morning with our friend Mr Roberts . On Tuesday , I travelled to Manchester , and defended myself in an oven , and received money u £ a draught , enough to kill another man , until half-past one o ' clock , and was not in bed till four . On Wednesday , I travelled to Nottingham , there defended
myself in a hot bath , and received money till past eleven o ' clock , and was ntin bed till past two . Thursday , I went to London , and gave the Manager an account of all the monies 1 received for the Bank , and the monies themselves , even to the shilling that a poor fellow paid into the Redemption Fund . I then gave our financial secretary , Mr M'Grath , an account of all the monies received for the Land , and the monies , to the farthing , into the bargain . I then wrote my letter to you in last week ' s Star . On Friday , I started for Herringsgate , to distribute the premiums according to appointment—but the following : very sensible address induced me to compl y with its terms , and I gave the 15 / . for a corn mill . Here is the address : —
Respected Sot , —We , the occupants of the O'ConnorviUe estate , rejoice in this opportunity of meeting our politicaland social parent on his mission of kindness and encouragement te us , the first offspring of his labours in regenerating the condition of the toiling millions of this country ; we feel grateful for your intended kindness of distributing premiums to those occupants whose allotments show proofs of their having bestowed the greatest care in their cultivation , ( as an inducement to all to act with the like energy and perseverance ) . But after serious deliberation we nave come to the unanimous conclusion , that under present circumstances this intended kindness could not be distributed justly , and wonld have
the effect of creating jealousy and ill-feeling amongst these whose interest and desire is to live in brotherly harmony ; the quality of the soil we occupy is various ; the time of oar taking possession was not in all cases similar ; our families vary in number ; and some ef the occupants having a small capital have been enabled to employ hired labour ; all these circumstances would render the selection of the fortunate allottees a difficult and invidious task ; we regret that these reasons have caused ns to decline the favour you intended , bat from your known discrimination we feel confident that you will appreciate our feelings and not take offence at our determination , especially , ' as we are still inclined to be your debtors ,
merely wishing to vary the manner of the gift . Experience has shown to jus the necessity of having a com mill in our possession , as the common property of our body ; wehsve been put to considerable trouble and expense in conveying our corn to the neighbouring mills , and have likewise beea greatly impotei upon in regard to the quantity and quality returned when ground , andyou would confer agreat obligation on us by placing in the hands of our secretary the amount of the premiums you intended bestowing in furtherance of the attainment of this object . All the occupants have in our belief , exerted themselves to the utmost in the cultivation of their respective allotments , knowing that thereby they advanced not
oaJy their own interests , but the success of an experiment destined in their opinion to effect a moral revolution in the social condition of the British empire , and through that of the worldat large . All are equally deserving , and by acceding te our wishes , all wonld be equally benefitted . Respected Sir , —We cannot conclude without taking this our first opportunity of personally congratulating you on having become a member of the British Legislature , and trust that you will long live to be an ornament and an example to that . body . This
increase of honour has doubtless drawn down upon you the calamny ef the venal press , but securing the lore and justifying the confidence of your friends , and the members of the Land Company , you will ever , as in the present instance , be able to disprove and defy their calumnies , thus endearing yourself more and more to our [ hearts , and to the hearts of all true and right minded men . Youra , on behalf of the occupants ' , Charles Suits Williams , Thomas Martin Whbslkb .
On Friday night I returned to London with 25 empty sacks , in which the , seed wheat was conveyed to Herringsgate , and on Saturday I returned with them to Minster— very fitting baggage for a Member of Parliament . Now , my friends , I'll describe—not fancifully , but critically—what I saw and what I heard , but I cannot describe what I felt , upon this , my-first visit to my first colony . When I entered my heart was very full , I assure you . I saw the plumber and several of the occupants engaged in sinking a pump in the well nearest the entrance . Wheeler ' s house is the first you come to , and I was literall y astounded when I beheld its neatness and its beauty . In front
he had erected a neat little verandah , and all around , for a considerable space , were the most sp lendid and luxuriant dahlias , sunflowers , and other flowers and shrubs , while the interior was the picture of simple neatness . I can t tell you what my joy was at seeing , our old secretary- ^ -our old Chartist—so happy , so contented , and so improved . But as I dined with him off a cold boneof pork , and as I shall come to the most interesting part of this narrative in due time , I'll leave him for the present / to take you with me to every cottage , and round the whole estate , for I went into every house except Ireland ' s—who lives in London , and only comes down on Saturday—and Oddy ' s , which was locked up , he and his wife being at work in the distant
part of their ground . I must inform you that Mr Wallace Russell of Paisley , and Mr Sewell , one of . our trustees , accompanied me to every house , and were present at every conversation . After leaving Wheeler ' s I went to Mitchell's , who had been a chairmaker , neither he nor his wife looked like the same people as when they came-, to Herringsgate—they were more than satisfied with their lot , and have fourteen pigs . ' The next was Ramsbottom , he had three fine pigs , and told me , that , though he had the worst Tot he would not leave it if it > ere ever so ^ asjhe never felt so happy in his life . The next I visited was Tawes , the man of whose condition the lousy "Rambler " made such a report . I said , " Tawes , if yoa were so destitute as the
T0 The Members Of The Nahonal Iiand Comp...
man represented you in the Nottingham Mercury , you should have made your case known to me . " , ' . ' * He ' s a scandalising vagabond / '' said Tawes , there wasn ' t a word of it true ; he came here when we . were busy ingetting in the barley , and as he said he was very- hungry my wife put down some potatoes to boil for him . V- . "Yes , " said . Mrs Tawes , "I didn ' t want him here at all , he was a dirty fellow , and when he came in he ' said he expected to , find meat pies , and fruit pies , and all . the things you said we would have ; and when he began to question me I said > of course it was strange
at first coming to , a new thing like this , bp that we were getting to like it bette and better every ¦ ' ¦ day . '' '' Well /'; ^ sajd 1 , " you are looking better . than you -did when you came here . " "Yes , thank God ! . " said she , "and look at my five children , " showing me ^ ve children , looking , the picture of health ^ the eldest hot more ; than " ten years of age . "Well , " I observed , "thank God ! I took them out of the workhouse . " " Ay , " said she , ; « Opd bless you for it \ ' \ ' Now , Tawes , ' ? said I , "there is nothing distresses me more than the idea of haying , brought a man , and especially a man with young children , to
poverty , and here is , a gentleman , ( pointing to Mr Russell ) , who has brought 302 . to pay you down for your allotment , and I ll send you back to Nottingham , to your native place , as perhaps , you may do better there with that money . " " Nay , but , '' says the wife , stepping forward , "he shan ' t take it , nor any money ; I wouldn ' t leave it if it were ever so , the money would soon go and then we should go to the workhouse again if we couldn ' t get work , and we can always get work here , " Come out , " she said in great glee , " andlook at our four pigs . " She took me out and showed
me four splendid pigs . I shook hands with them both , Tawes assuring me that he'd make it do , that he was getting to like it better and better every day . I then passed from house to house , conversing with all as to their feelings , and not a single soul expressed the slightest dissatisfaction , but , on the contrary , all appeared to be happy , contented , and comfortable . Before I conclude I will tell you the number of pigs that each have , but firstly , I will g ive you a few of the conversations . ^ Lambourne is an elderly man and has a most industrious wife ; he expressed himself , not
in words of contentment but in words of thankfulness , and when I said , " Lambourne , what would you take to leave ? '' his answer was , " There'l be no use in naming money , as my wife wouldn't take as much as you could count . " Mr Sewell , Mr Russell , and myself were perfectly astonished , and more than delighted , with the healthful appearance of the children . Watson , a four acre man , who had advertised his allotment for sale , in the Star , told us that the cause of his wishing to sell was the notion that it would not be large enough for him and his father , but his father
had left , and he wouldn ' t now take 120 Z . and be paid for the crop , as no one could be more happy than he and his father were ; he had five p igs , and had killed one that weighed thirty-two stone . Mann , a shoemaker , from Northampton , said he never was more happy in his life ; his wife said she never was so happy—had a cow and five pigs upon two acres . Smith had mangel wurtzel , some of . which measured thirty-two inches in circumference , and , as he said , quite puzzled the farmers . Evesham , an old man of seventy-four years of age , and I had the . following conversation . He was
digging , and I said , "Come here , my child . I shook hands with him and said , "Why , how do you get on : '' "I am a boy again /' said he , "How old are you ? " "Seventy-four . " "What were you > '' "A weaver . " " Well , which do you like , weaving or digging , best ? ' ' ° Wh y , digging , and I learned it sooner . " " Well , now my child / ' said I , "tell me how you feel ? " - " Why , happier than ever the king felt in his palace . ' " Well , what would
you take to go back to the weaving again ?' " Why , they often ask me that and I always say 250 Z . " "What , " said I , "for your two acres surely you'd take 2 ( KW . r" " No , not if you paid it down in my hand , and the reason wh y I say 250 ? . is , because that would be a lump of beef on the table that would just do for me to cut at while I lived . " ! iln short , not a soul who did not appear more than happy , and Richardson , Gobbet s old cutler , showed me two rooms covered with the finest onions I
ever saw , and a quantity of vegetables still growing , while every man ' upon the estate had an abundant store of the very best potatoes . I said to Richardson , "Well , now areyouhappy ?" " Kosciusko was never half so happy in his retirement . Look at my wife there , eightytwo years of age , that doesn ' t know what it is to be sick _ now but was always poorly before . '' I said to Fitzsimon , a
fine specimen of an Irishman from Manchester , " Well , my countryman , they tell me that you are complaining and unhappy too ? '' " They be d d , " says he , " they're bothering me here , writing , but I never mind them , * we re too well off for them ; sure I never was so happy in my life . Come till I show you my two pigs . 1 , ' m obliged to keep them separate , for they fig ht—this is the one I brought from Manchester—isn ' t she a fine baist . " " Now I ' ll
tell you about the allotments that have changed hands . A man of the name of Pimm has purchased a four acre allotment , for which I think he paid 90 / . He has a very fine waggon , a tax cart , cart and horses , and takes the vegetables to the London market for the occupants . He has built a large range of suitable offices . A man of the name ofKeene has purchased a three acre allotment for 60 / . Mr Gamble purchased a four acre allotment for 901 . Mr Williams , a young man , but an old Chartist , has purchased a four acre allotment for 80 / .,
and has erected an immense quantity of new buildings , and had bricklayers and carpenters at work . Another man purchased a four acre allotment for 90 / . Hornb y purchased a two acre allotment , but I don ' t know the amount he paid . Wheeler purchased a two acre allotment for 25 / . Ireland purchased a two acre allotment ; I don ' t know the amount , but those selling have not lost much upon their 21 . l' 2 s . ; 3 l . 18 s . ; or 5 / . 4 s . ; while those purchasing , have given to the Bank depositors an additional security of over 1 , 000 Z .
And now for the close . I dined with Wheeler off a cold bone of pork . He said he had sent to the public house for a p int of ale for me . 1 asked him if it was good , and his repl y was , that he couldn't tell , as he had not tasted anything hut water for three weeks , as he never felt thesli g htestinclination for it now . I said , "Now Wheeler , tell me candidly which would you rather have , this allotment , or two pounds a week for doing nothing ? " and his reply was , " Upon my honour , I wouldn't exchange my situation for 3 Z . a week . ' ' And now ,
my children , you shall have a list of the pigs belonging to those represented as starving paupers by the pressj : — Wheeler , ioelieve 7 Barber ... 4 Mitcnell ... it Watson ... 5 Ramsbottom ... 3 one killed , 32 stone . Tawes ... 4 0 oie # < I C Lambourne ... 3 Baraes , .,. W Westmoreland ... 2 Fitzsimoii ... 2 Griffiths j ... 3 Crowder ... 10
Herrick ' ... 6 Smith 11 Hornck ; ... 6 Smith ... H Neale ... 2 Mann ... 5 Jowett ... 1 and one Cow . Knott ... 4 Ford ... 1 Keen ... | 4 three killed . Hornby ... i WiUtanw , „ *
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' - < 7 f ' ¦ " >; * " ^_ . „ _ ;_ . ; . ' .. -. - ^ M ijj ^^ j 10 > : ^^ ms 3 m ^ M ^ i ^ journal . HJhjr NQ 524- ,,. ; ; LONDOMAIpApOyiiB ^ BXl ^ „ ,. « 3 g ZSgSSjJ ^
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S ™ Uh ... 4 House Thomas Smith ... 10 Gamble . , 1 : Poeock . , 2 WaUwark ' . ' » 1 WW , ¦ ... . 2 . and one Wiled . . 1 /; a udtwoCo » s . Richardson ... 7 Beaton - .,. - , 2 Pimm , purchased of andonemtub . Openthaw ... 2 . Total—one hundred and fifty-four dead and alive- Now , my children , contrast the situation of those thirtyifivemen with thirty-five of their class not located upon the Company ' s land at this
season of the year , and in these days of distress ; Wheeler presented me with a splendid bouquet of flowers , and I gave him something in return , that gladdened his heart , and drove off with Mr Sewell and Mr Russell , with three cheers from 1 the occupants for the Charter , and three for the Lana . And now , my children , to , let you see that neither the , ' Whistler , " Ardill , Hobson , Bailey / the Dispatch , or the Devil himself , shair frustrate my views , I now proclaim to every , manlbcatedat O ' Connoryille and Lowbahds , that they shall pay no rent till next November , when their harvest comes in , and that Tw ' ill ^ ay the May rent for all out of my " own pocket ) , giving them time till November to repafeit : so that the
ruffians shall find that all their hellish hiachi . . ^ ation ^ % retard my progress / anlffi ^ at of ' the Land Plan , shall fail . I have considered it fair to monopolise a large ^ portion of the Star this week , because it is my intention to devote ' the whole of the next week to my constituents at Nottingham ; and as Parliament meets on the 18 th , J between legislation , cultivation , and buildinghouses , my time will be sufficientl y occupied . I think that I have now given the ruffians of the press , and their ruffianl y assassins , a dose that will last them till I have a little more spare time on my hands . . Your affectionate Father , Fbasous O'Connor . . Minster Lovel , Nov . 3 , 1847 .
Our Bailiff And His Balance Sheet.
OUR BAILIFF AND HIS BALANCE SHEET .
TOM BAILEY . The unfortunate Tom Bailey That hung himself one morning in his papers . Be the hole in my coat , Tom , but you are a funny rascal , and , but I'll send my linendraper ' s bill into you , for you make me burst my shirt laughing at you . Why , then , now , you poor misguided unfortunate individual , wh y couldn ' t you derive some slight consolation from the hope expressed b y your townsmen on Wednesday night , that , by the application of emollients , sedatives , and restoratives , you might yet be brought to a state of sanity , f sobriety , and honesty . But , Tom , as you WILL be drowned , and you ar » determined that no one SHALL help you ; and , as VOU have ventured nnnn smnther nrnisfl in a
leaky boat , you must bear the peltings of the storm . Again , I ask you , you great Tom fool , wh y you didn ' t stick to the bung hole and the vent peg , and keep your cock instead of the goqse-quill in your hand ? It produced better s £ dff , Tom , and its effects soon passed awa 5 , while the ink from your goose-quill stamps you as an irretrievable ass . You poor thing , I was ready to do everything I could for you , but you won t be saved , and here goes to destroy you . Now , mind , Tom , I'm not going to hit you one blow , but ) as they say that grocers' apprentices get surfeited with 'gooddies / lam going to choke you with your oAh sugar-stick . Now , Tom , here is the whole every word of your last raving , and I leave it to Tomkins , andTimkinsto
answer—Daring the period we have been engaged en the subject of Mr O'Connor ' s ' balance sheet , ' as Treasurer to the so-oalled National Land Company , we have bad several attempts made by certain writers iu the columns of a contemporary journal to draw us from our game , by involving us in a dispute with themselves . We would net wish to be thought ; acting disrespectfully towards those gentlemen , when we tell them that we have net time to spare , just now , to turn aside , to knock such small creatures as themselves on the head .
Sol no ! gentlemen ! the feint will not take with us : we are too old sportsmen to be led off our game by tricks of that kind . Let us dispose of Mr O'Connor first , if yon please—which we feel that we shall be able to accomplish very soon , from the raging mood he is at present in ; and then , we may , perchance , honour you with a coup-detfrace , if you be still ambitious of martyrdom at our hands . In the meanwhile , Tomkins , we will take another spell with you at the ' balance sheet . ' The debtor aide—my dear fellow ! have you ever looked at the debtor side of this curious document ? Well , we felt concerned that you had not ! nor has oae in five thousand of your associates—so as to
attempt to understand it . We will therefore try and explain a little of it to yoa . But first , are you quite sure , Tomkins ! that all the money yourself and brother contributors pay , or have paid during the last two years , into the hands of the local Secretaries—and which are so pompously announced , week by week , in the columns of the ' Stab '—always reach the treasury in full tale , and are appropriated to the objects you contemplate ? And now we will explain to you our motive for asking this question . In casting up the several sums of money enumerated in the columns of the ' Star ' as having been contributed by individuals to the fuuds of the Land Company , for the eight months from the
12 th of December , 1846 , to the 14 th of August , 1847 , we find them in the gross to exceed , by three thousand and thirty-five pounds seven shillings and three , halfpence , the sum acknowledged by the Treasurer through the General Secretary . As you appear , Tomkins , to be incredulous en the subject , we will go into it rather more in detail . On the 19 th of December , then , the ' Stab ' acknowledged to have received , on account of the Land Company , £ 119 6 s . 5 d ., but the General Secretary passed to the debit of the Treasurer no more than £ 80 . 13 * . 10 J . I—what beramo of the remaining £ 98 . 12 s . 7 d . ? Again , on the 27 th of March the' Stab ' ao .
knowledged payments on account of land , £ 313 . 8 . ' . 8 d . ; Bank , £ 274 . 8 a . 61 ; together , £ 587 . 10 s . Sid .: but the Secretary to the Treasurer passes to the credit of the joint parties , for that day , no more than £ o 26 f ( 7 * . ltd , —we again ask , what became of the other ' j £ 6 l . 2 s . 3 id . ? Take one more instance . On the 1 st of May , the' Star' acknowledges the receipts oi the ' National Co-operative Land Company' to amount , for the week—to Land , £ 2 , 995 . 2 s . 3 d . ; Bank , £ 111 . 12 s . 7 d . ; together , £ 3 , 108 . 14 s . lOd . Yet the Secretary gives the Land and the Bank conjointly credit for no more than £ 2 , 59 . 3 s . 21 . — dropping £ 147 . lis . 8 d . by the way—what became of this money ?
On the 26 th of June the ' Star' announced the receipts as follows ; Land , £ 1 , 130 . 13 ) . lid . ; Bank , £ 168 7 s . 3 d . ; Land Purchase , £ 440 ; together , £ 1 . 739 . Is . 2 d . Yet the treasurer , through his secretary , passes te the account of the ' Co-operative Land Company , ' from all sources , no more than £ 1 , 019 . 16 s . ; creating a difference between the gross sara raised , from the three sources specified , and that for which the parties have credit in the books of Feargus O'Connor , Esq .. Treasurer and BailiS to the National Co-operative Land Company , ' of no less a sum than seven hundred and nineteen pounds five
shillings ana twopence ! Again , en the 17 th of July there is a deficiency in the accounts of £ 400 ( within a few pence ) . But we have not space to quote all the instances separately , of deficiencj which we have found subsisting between the sums acknowledged in the columns of the 'Star , ' during the eight months referred to , and those passed to account by the Secretary of the Treasurer , —as they extend , in all , to thirty-one in number , varying in sums of from seven pounds to seven hundred pounds!—and amounting in the whole , as we before said , to three thousand and thirty . five pounds .
Now are we not warranted in asking , in the name of that portion of the contributara to the * Land Plan ' who give us their confidence—and we are happy to say they are no inconsiderable number—what has really become of this large sum ? If disbursed in any form—as stipends to Lecturers , or Secretariesas bonuses te Committeemen , or agents of any kind;—or if still remaining in the hands of Local Secretaries , as aocommodatian to them in their business , or otherwise , as an indirect way of rewarding their services , why is it not acknowledged / in some way or other—either by note or direct entry ? In any case , the absence of more than three thousand
pounds out of the sums contributed by the Co-operative Company during the short space of eight months , can no longer be tolerated without explanation . We know that secretaries must be paid—that deputies to conferences will be paid—that directors will be paid too , ~ that committee-men , if regularly emploved , will grumble unless they are paid , —that agents ot all kinds will expect remuneration , — and that , above all , public lecturers engaged' to travel about a country in order to ' beat up' in favour of any cause , will expect , and hare a right to be paid . Let us see then what the cost is in the case of the Land Company , let us have it fairly and openly stated how many thousands of the hard-earned
shillings of the poor men who contribute towards ! this fund are weekly swallowed up in their business of agencies of one kind or another , Here is on the face of these accounts upwards . of three thousand pounds which has been subscribed by a class , —the honest industrial portion of society , — for a special purpose , which has not reached its destination , and of the explanation of which sum , up to this time , no application is afforded either by the 8 e ? wal secretary or the treasurer 1 In their * name we demand an explanation . Itis possible that a" satisfactory explanation may be given ; of the discrepancies existing in the
accounts alluded , to . If so , we -stall on the v > att of others as well as for ourselves , he . perfectly satisfied ; . we ask for . nothing more , —we will-have nothing less .. : ' ' V ' ' , . ¦ ¦ , ' . - ' /• '•^' -j ' " . "'"' . ' ' Had we never heard , or rend , anything of : Mi O'Connor ' s book-keeping before , —of the management ef his ledger , —of his first bringing a charge against a salesman for a debt of £ 2 , 000 on account oftheiVortfterniStar , and for funds contributed for the defence of Chartist prisoners , unaccounted for , — which demand was subsequently reduced to a sum little exceeding £ 1 , 000 , —then , as the investigation went on , to a smaller amount still , and so on , until ai length the once formidable claim , becoming
• ' Small by degrees and beautifully less / at last vanished clean away : and instead of being claimant for £ 2 . 000 , the honest bailiff is reported to have tendered £ 250 to have the affair closed without farther investigation , —we say , had we not heard and read of such matters as these connected with the book-keeping of the' Treasurer to the Land Company , ' nor beheld such discrepancies in his accounts as are discernible in almost all parts of this balance sheet , we might not , or rather , perhaps , we . may say we certainly should not , have had our suspicions aroused to anything like the degree they now are as to its correctness .
At present we entertain the belief that the whole affairs of the Company , if strictly investigated , would exhibit an instance of the most shameful extravagance and culpable negligence , both in the keeping of its accounts and the application of its funds , that ever disgraced any establ ishment in this country ; and that the whole of the balance sheets hitherto issued by the treasurer are nothing buta record of jugglery and delusion : that these accounts have never shown what is the true financial condition of the Company or the value of its property , by many ( thousands of pounds , —that the secretary himself has not known
what was the real condition of them at the time he vouched them with his signature—that members of the boasted Conference , at the time they have passed the accounts of the treasurer and secretary , have not known whether they were correct or not by thousands of pounds , —and that the all-sufficient ) all- wise , treasurer himself did not know to ten thousand pounds how be stood with the Company at the time he was making bis boasted declaration , at Nottingham and elsewhere , as to the extent of its funds , —we will make manifest to our readers and the shareholders in this Land Association , before we have done with the subject .
VVastefulnes , egotism , blarney , dissimulation , gullery , and corruption , characterise every part of its proceedings . We will , therefore , for the sake of our poor deluded , over- ' . OBlding ' counlryinen , —far the sake of common justice ti t lose whe are unable to protect themselves , —for the honest gratification to ourselves of exposing knavery , detecting fraud , and denouncing hypocrisy , —cease not from , laying bare to the scoffs and derision of an Insulted constituency the unblushing arrogance , the unparalleled effcohtery , the immeasurable ignorance , the- disRustinu charlatanism of the mendacious political adventurer , Whom an accident has elevated into the seat of their representative to the great council of the nation , —until he shall be shunned by honest men of all conditions in British society ; when we will leave him to all the ignominy of convicted and selfaccusing guiltiness , —his name a terror to many , his fate a warning to all
;—1 Exalted o er his less abhorred eompeere , And festering in the infamy of jears . ' ' Good morning to you , Mr Tomkins . ' ' The top of the morning to you , Mr Timkins . ' * Well , Mr Tomkins , have you seen the last number of the Mercury / ' ' Nay , Timkins , Bailey was convicted of wilful and corrupt perjury on Wednesday ni g ht last , by a jury of his townsmen , and I ll never read his lies , no more . ' 'Well , but , Master Tomkins , figures is figures , and how will you get over these here ? ' ' Well , what he ' s they , Master Tomkins ? ' ' Why , see here , on the 39 th of December , the Mercury says that the Star acknowledged to have received on account of the Land Company £ 179 . 6 s . 5 d ., but the general secretary passed to the debit of the treasurer no more than £ 80 . 13 s . lOd . ; what became of
the remaining £ 98 . 12 s , 7 d . V < Wh y , | Timkins , thou fool , it went to pay the ' expense of fifty delegates from all parts ' of England , Scotland , and Wales , that assembled at Birmingham . ' ' Oh ! Tomkins , 1 thought they came there for nothing , and gave their time for nothing 1 ' Why , d—n thee , thou fool , baint they all working men , and where dos't think they'd get money to run about the country ? ' ' Well , Mr Tomkins , don ' t be angry , but tell me how vou account for the next item , £ 61 . 2 s . 3 ^ d . on the 27 th' of March . ' ' Here , thou d—d fool , take this here book of our bailiff in thy hand , and see if it agrees with balance sheet of secretary ,. , and- entries in Master King's book , that was at O'Coanorville . ' £ . s . A . To Mr King , to pay men at
O'Connorville ... 80 0 0 Rent of offices in Sean-street ... 9 5 0 Advance to occupant to bb located .,, 5 0 0 Paid Dunnage , on account of work done to new offices of Land Company ... 14 0 Q Acknowledged too much fiom Kocbdole last week ... ... ... 7 4 3 £ 61 9 3
' Now , master Timkins , there ' s 61 ? . 9 s . 3 ., making an error against our bailiff of 7 s . Here are figures , master Timkins , and these are sums paid by the directors . ' 'Well , master Tomkins , God forgive Tom Bailey , but let us go on to the next item , on the 1 st of May —U 71 . lis . 8 d ! Well , take this here book;— £ . s . d . PaidHeaten , Mitchell , and Oddy , occupants nt O'Connorrille ... ... 8 0 0 King , for wages nt O'Csnnorville ... 19 0 0 George Wheeler and Hewitt , clerks , ] four weeks 12 0 0 Directors , four weeks' wages ... 32 0 0 Withdrawn from Baak .. ... 26 11 8 Dunnage , for work done at Bank and
Land office 30 6 0 Current expanses fo .-the month .. 28 0 ' 0
dS 147 _ ll _ 8 ' Why , master Tomkins , if it baint just the ticket , but if I was ' nt fool enough to think that all the men worked for nothing at O'Connorville and in the office , and that the directors took no wages , and that our bailiff paid all out of his own pocket that was withdrawn from the Bank , and that the tradesmen in London were cutting each other ' s throats to see who should do the work for nothing , and that the current expenses , to pay for postage ,
stationary , parcels , porters , and all the rest of it , was all got out of the stones . ' ' Thou ' rt a d-d old fool . Wh y does ' nt write to Laud Office , and pay twopence for a balance sheet , and then thou'd see what secretary pays . Why , man he pays for all except land and houses . ' ' Don ' t be angry , Tomkins , but the next sum is such a wallopper f or one week , that I should like to hear your opinion of it . ' ' Well , what is it ? ' . 'Why , 719 / . 5 s . fd . 'Well , heW / take secretary ' s book ; ¦¦
M ' . ' ... , ; £ ¦ ( . OV * . Dunnage .... ,.,. . . ; ii > --:,, ; ..... . 19 11 . 7 Andrews , far brick * ; ¦ . r- . 'i' & V ? . . „ . ' - ¦ ¦ . . 2 18 fl Plaiterer and labourer , for schooi' " , ' ' ' 3 , 12 9 Paid for sand ... ... 'V , v x j 0 Carrlag a of bricks ... ... t # t 9 5 0 Bricklayer and labourer sU and a half ... ^ . . ,.. , . day » ... ..... ¦ ¦ .. ; .,.: •• : ¦ . _; . ii ' ¦« ¦ . ^ -18 ' , 0 Putnam , on acoeunt of prhlea . ;; ¦ ' . ; Cl : l 8 0 Loan to Mr O'Connor ... . - ; <* r % ib-. . 0 Dr M'Douall , waifes ... ... 2 01 Q
Withdrawn from Bank ... * ... 402 . 0 ; 0 Qa » -fitter ' sbill at Bunk and office ... 8 0 H 0 . Directors ' wages , four week * ... ... 82 a 9 " Hewitt and Wheeler ,, four weeks ... 12 0 « Annuitants , O'Connorrille ... 2 6 0 Boonham , one month ' s wages . ••« . . 4 4 0
Gathard . ditto .. .. »• •• 8 ° £ John Clark , one week ... l J | ' Puld allottees at O'Coanorfille ... 2 < m 0 PaidatRidmarley ... ... " , -J x * Bent ; Daanistreet ... ... 9 . " . 0 Wages to Dr M'Douall ... 4 W 0 Putnam , carpenter on account of wheel * barrows . ... .. ; ... 10 ° 8 Richardeoni on account of garden seed 1 10 0 £ 868 5 0 , ^ 'Xow , Timkins , take the two weeks , the 26 th of June and the 3 rd of July , and you will find it stands thus : — .. £ > . b , d * Acknowledged in the Stab fer the two weeks ... ' ... ... 3 , 708 13 7 J Received by the treasurer from secretary ' ... 2 , 840 8 ' 7 J . Which learn , Tomkins , a balance upon the two weeks of ... ... £ 868 5 0
' Now , Timkins , did your ever see a man ' s nose p lainer on his face ? ' ' Tomkins , what ' s the meaning of loan to our bailiff of ten shillings ? ' 'Wh y , Tomkins , it means that our bailiff never touches the'money , and I was in the office the same day when the bailiff came in , in a ^ devil'of a hurry andaaid ; ' ! say , Wheeler , can you give me ten shillings in silver , till I get down to myoffice ^ for I haven't a fraction . ' Tomkins , I smell | brimstorie—I see a horrid figure before ! me , Tomkins-: is it the devil , or
is it Tom Bailey , Tomkins ? ' 'It ' s both , Timkins , grinning at the balance sheet . ' ' But Tomkins , was there 452 / . drawn in one week out of our Bank ? ' 'No , Timkins . ' 'But how is that , how is that , Tomkins ? ' ' Now Timkins , take the balance sheet , and you will find , 19 th June , £ . s . d . Received on account of land ... ... 742 1 5 Bank ... ... ... ... S 41 1 6 Land Purchase ... ... ... 50 0 0 £ 1 . 333 5 11
Now , Timkins , 400 / . of that money acknowledged for the Bank was paid in that week by Mr Dewhirst , of Leicester—there ' s the name for you , Timkins—and it was placed to his credit in the Bank , but it was intended for the Land Purchase Department . And now , Timkins , if you look to the account of the" next week , the 26 th of June , you will see the Land Purchase Department 440 / . ; so that you see , Timkins , these blunderbusseshave been poking
their fingers into two fires at the same time . Now , Tomkins , there ' s only one more item of 406 / . on the I 7 th of July ? ' ' Now Timkins , mark the figures : — Mr Dunnage .. .. ... Expenditure , as per voucher and office 5 0 0 book .. ... ,. 7 9 5 Rent of Bank and Land office ... 42 10 0 Paid Mr Cbinnery , for Stamp on Deed 350 0 0 Withdrawn from Bank , J . Grady ... 10 0 £ 405 19 5
'What , Tomkins , our bailiff has Chinnery down 450 / . 'Yea , Timkins , and a precious sig ht more too . That ' s only up to that time ; and does t know man , that 450 / . charged b y the bailiff , and 350 / . paid by the secretary , is onl y 800 /!; and the stamp of the deed alone , without lawyer ' s pay , and they don ' t work for nothing , Timkins , come to 90 PZ . Now , Timkins , how do you like the law expenses for satisf ying Bailey , the ' Whistler , ' and Josh . Hobson ?' ' Eh , dear me , master Tomkins , why ever did
they spend all that money , when we could do just as well and better without it V ' True , Timkins , but you remember what a howl there was at the bailiff to put us under the wing of the law . Now tell me , master Timkins , if ever in all your life you ever saw or ever heard of so plain and simple an answer to these rascally charges ? ' ' Never , never , never , master Tomkins . ' * Now , master Timkins , just look at the 3 , 035 / . 7 s . l | d . that Old Bailey charges your bailiff with embezzling in eight months ; and see the five weeks that he has taken as
instances , and there you'll find that the secretary has paid on account of the Company in those five weeks , the sum of 1 , 432 / . lis . 8 | d . ; and that 400 / . of that is still represented in the Laud Purchase Department ; and now , master Timkins , write to Mr Dewhirst , Greenfield ; Leicester—as our bailiff always gives addresses , and I ' m blowed if our bailiff did ' nt tell me this morning that he'd take the secretary ' s book , with all the entries , and the banker ' s book , down to Nottingham on Monday next , and challenge Bailey to meet him before a committee of the Land members of Nottingham , with the balance sheet and the secretary ' s book .
And now I'll tell you what , master timkins , since figures were invented , no man ever saw such a balance sheet ; and our overseer , Mr Cullingham , said this to me , master Timkins , says he , ' There can be nothing in that balance sheet that has not been paid by the bailiff , but there ' s scores of pounds that ' s not in that he has paid . ' Now , master Timkins , there s a large profit on printing , not a fraction for travelling expenses , not a fraction for advertising , not a fraction for plans , engineers , draughtsmen , pay clerks , and the hosts of vultures that always follow the funds of a company . Now ,
master Timkins , see what other companies have done , and what they have spent , and see what our bailiff has done with what he has spentand if the money was in other hands , the Com * pany would have ' booked up' long ago , and a call would be made upon shareholders to pay off the cormorants . Now , master Timkins , we have nearl y 150 cottages built , two splendid schoolhouses , the finest ' stock' of any Company in the world , and handy to 50 , 000 / . to go on with , and every fraction of it bearing interest from the day it was paid . Now , Timkins , I'll give you a bit of Bailey ' s arithmetic . Now hear the way he professes to analyse a balance
sheet—We will now , however , spend a few minutes , and it does not need that we should spend many , on the tedious , and , in a many portions , most ridiculous matter , which occupies the six columns he has devoted to defending himself from the strictures of the 'Mercury : ' for speaking in all honesty and fairness , we cannot discover that in mere than two instances , and both of them admitting of very natural explana * tion , has Mr O'Connor caught us tripping , amidst all the extensive calculations , analyzation , and speculation we have entered into respecting the affairs of the Land Company during the last six or seven weeks .
The first of these counts is , that in a certain list of'expenses exhibited by us , we entered ' Straw £ 38 is . 9 d . ' when in the balance sheet thia item stood ' Cattle and Straw' to that amount . Now m admit the chargers we drew it , to be literally incorrect , but altogether disavow the motive for the entry attributed to ns . Mr O'Connor says it was' wilful , palpable , and corrupt falsehood . ' * We say it arose from the impossibility of separating the two c ' asses of subjects thus , incongruously , put
together . We were aware of the difficulty at the time , but imagining that it could not create much difference on the general balance , and finding only a comparative small entry for straw besides this ,, we yentured to put down the whole sum for that article . Now this is the head and front of our offending in this particular . But if we added something ; to the cost of the cattle on this point the Bailiff himself admits that we were consideraMy below the amount in the gross sum we charged . Truly this is quarreling about straws . . »„ -, _ A- J c ot
Ilavine as we consider , satisfactorily disposed that count in the indictment of " wilful perjury , ' we nass to the next charge , which is founded on a quotation by us of an item , « J * al , £ 80 . ' Mr O'Connor says ' there ' s no such item in the balance sheet . From this broad , unqualified statement , the reader would be led to believe that the name of Lyal is not to be found in the balance sheet at all , with any sum attached to it . Yet , the truth is that the extent of our sinning amounts to this , —and to this < m ! y , that we quoted the sum £ 10 . more than we intended to do .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Nov. 6, 1847, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_06111847/page/1/
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