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" TIP, GJJABDS* -SmltimM : : ¦ •—
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WT BE QM> ZVpSti. ' ¦ ' Loyro asd^oxourh...
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STARTLING DISCLOSURES. TO JOJi CLASSES W...
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;. ME;\KYDD'S,TOUR. lO.THB EpiTOU OF THE...
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—jas^p*" THE LAND AND LABOUR QUESTION. T...
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THE KIRKDALE CHARTIST PRISONERS . AGAIN....
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TO THE EDITOK OF THE NORTHERN STAR. Sin,...
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The Morning Advertiser ^ says,—" Every d...
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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.
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" Tip, Gjjabds* -Smltimm : : ¦ •—
" TIP , GJJABDS * -SmltimM : : ¦
Wt Be Qm> Zvpsti. ' ¦ ' Loyro Asd^Oxourh...
WT BE QM > ZVpSti . ' ¦ ' Loyro asd ^ oxourh ) ' Comrades , T , A ° I ^ ^ - ^ ¥ ^ petitions l > y Satod py mghtg po ^ Sundafmght'kpost and Monday ni ght ' s post addressed ' to the several members to the Honseof Commons Uo your duty-and I will do mine .- But if you neglect everythmg else this Tveek , read the article thatyou will find in the " " Northern Star " copied fronfthe "Dispatch" of last week , lie * . it be read slowl y and distinctl y by a good reader at your several meetings . I am lure ott Manchester friends will feel the loss of GeocOtt , but let the article be read by all and J > all , and then let all revile the Land Plan as best they can .
POUR IN TOUR PETITIONS . Your faithful IMend and Representative , EeAKGDS O'CONNOR
Startling Disclosures. To Joji Classes W...
STARTLING DISCLOSURES . TO JOJi CLASSES WHO LIVE BY THEIR LABOUR . My Friends , . Hookupon ever jmaawho earns Ms bread by the labour of his hands or the labour of his intellect , as a working man ~ -that Is , I consider the architect , who draws out the design of a house which labourers are " to build , to he as worthy of his hire as the labourers themselves ; while , upon the other hand ; 1 look . upon it not
as an injustice , but as a ' sin , ihatthe idle should live in luxury upon the labour of & e industrious ; and it'is because the land constitutes the real mine of labour , and theonly field from which the labourer can draw a fair requital for bis work , that Have made up my mind to struggle to the death for the restoration of Gob ' s gift to G < n >' s people , and I never will join in any movement or m ^ ny plan which has not the furtherance ^ iny project for its object . , * ' ~ ' ~ f' " -. ' . . ' .- -. ' - ^ -
whenl say my . project do net mean any Land Plan proposed b ^ myself , because I will further , with all my might , any project , no matter "by whom propounded , that "will put the working classes in possession of a sufficient amount of land to employ their own freelabour "upon . - "With so much , of a preface , let me now call your attention to the dear and unostentatious reply of Mr . "Wheeler , and other allottees of O'Connorrille , to the Nottingham BOOBY , and from those STARTLING
DISCLOSURES you will learn , the base slander and lying hypocrisy te which every man who attempts to serve the poor without a selfish motive is exposed , and y ou wul also discover Hie avidity with which the Press of faction seizes upon the lucubrations of those reptiles , when you recall to , memory the fact , that the " Nottingham . Beciein" published the rubbish of the BOOBY , with the usual indorsement as to his respectability , by pompously announcing that the Editor was in possession of the name of the writer—which , however , he withheld—the
legitimate and the only conclusion to which you can come being that he was in possession of his character also- —no great treasure—but the developement of which might have stigmatised the name with an odium that might have weakened the STARTLING DISCLOSURES . However , as a matter of course , the "Nottingham . Review" will publish Mr . "Wheeler ' s reply . I am not so sure of this , however , as that paper has changed editors , and I learn that . the present conductor is an old and-rirnlent enemy of mine .
Yon will also , find a letter in this week ' s " Star , " from the occupants at Lowbands , in reply to Mr . Driver ' s evidence atNorthampton , and it gives me no little pleasure to find the occupants upon the several estates , thus coming forward gratuitously , and without any—the sUghtest- ^ -solicitation upon my part , to speak for themselves . I have often told you that , like "Wilberforce , my strongest desire was to lire down prejudice , and in concluding this ¦ part of my letter , I may-say , thai the : last
week has been one of the happiest of my life , and the cause of that happiness you will find in the severalxesponsesto myletterof last week , and the result of which will he such a phalanx of independent voters going to the poll at the next General Election as will astound the enemies of Labour : not for one county , nor for two counties , but for a majority of the counties of England ; and , as I originally laid it down in my " "Work upon Small Panns , " written in 1843 , 1 should like to purchase estates in the several counties , for the location
of the inhabitants of those several counties . However , this is a matter that must be left to the choice of the people themselves . I now c ome to the material part of the question—namely , the purchase of Mathon . "While I . am writing the sale is going on , and my solicitor is there , with my instructions to purchase it at the price at which I originally bought ii Thcresult cannot be communicated to me till to-morrow ( Friday ) morning , and it -will then appeal- in the Second Edition , as a postscript to this letter . However , as it is indispensable that those who invest their money in such a project , should he thoroughly acquainted with the subject , and as some appear to be in error , let me now clearly statehw the
( matter stands . . Every man who wishes for an acre mil have to pay 327 . the acre , at the price I propose to purchase , costing 30 ? ,, and putting down 21 . an acre for legal expenses of conveyance and surreving ; and perhaps this will appear small when I tell you that the stamp alone , for conf Yeyin < r the property , will cost nearly 200 / . | f However , every subscriber must pay at the H rate of 321 . an acre , from one acre'to eight » Th ™ h * lnsi -week's " Star '' I made a
mis-Ptake as to the price of the growing timber , - which Iputdown at 4 , 0001 ., while I find it is lessthan 2 , 5007 . Ton . must understand that when an estate is purchased , the limber must be taken at a valuation ; and you must understand that those who buy the estate , must also buy the timber . 301 . an acre for 500 acres is 15 , 0007 ., the price I propose , to gi ye , and the pricel proposeto charge per acre . The 2 , oUW . for timber amounts to 5 ? .: an acre upon oUU
, acres and therefore the purchaser of au acre must pay 37 / . —30 / . for Land , 27 . for surveying and legal expenses , and 57 . for the timber ; and after selling the timber , I undertakenot only to return toeverypurchaserof an acre his ol . paid for timber , and to every four-acre man his 20 / . paid fortimber , but also to level all the fences , and to convert all the old building materialssuch as bricks , stone , thnbeiydoor and window
aills , and other materials—to use out of the profits made on the timber , that is—they shall be all p iled in lots , and ready for sale , to the occupants or others who may wish to purchase them . They should he piled in quantities that would build a suitable cottage , which the purchaser " could buy at less that half the retail price , saving the carriage , and the money received for them would be equally divided amongst the purchasers—that is , if -they brought 2 , 0001 , every man who purchased an acre and did not purchase materials , would
receive 4 Z . ; every four-acre man would receive 16 T . ; thus reducing the price of the Landmcludm ^ legal expehses and surveying--to 287 . - ^ TNTowIhope that ! make this matter of trees and old materials sufficiently plain . Iputdown old materials at 2 , O 0 O 7 ., while , perhaps , ^ reader would be astonished when he hears that they were not erected for 20 , 000 / .-or o , 000 L more than Land and all would now fetch . 1 put them down at 2 , 000 / ., of U . an acre , while I'shall be much deceived if they do not fetch over 3 , 000 Z ., or 67 . an acre . But as i wish the "Worcester Journal , and other newspapers so favourable to myplan , to reserve this letter as condemnation of my present iu ™ le , I wish to disarm them ; and in order
Startling Disclosures. To Joji Classes W...
? £%£ !?* * £ ** ^ * ° ™ * , lwajher re-capitulatethe terms : — . £ Every purchaser of an acre must * pay 37 " >» -Two acres ' ,, ^ 4 " » Three acres „ 111 » j > Four acres . „ , 143 .. »» j > Five acres „ 185 - » » Six acres . „ 222 " » Seven acres - .. 259
» 3 > Eight acres „ 296-The above amounts pay for land , timber , legal expenses , survey , conversion of timber trees into cash , conversion of old materials intousuable condition , and levelling offences . Every man / who pays 37 / . will receive back 5 / . from sale of timber . £ . Every two-acre man will receive 10 „ Three-acre man „ 15-„ . Four-acre man „ 20 ¦ „ Five-acre man „ 25 „ Six-acre man „ , 30 „ Seven-acre man „ - _ "• -35 „ Eight-acre man "„ 40 And if I am allowed time to convert it into the
proper scantlings for persons , purchasing allotments , and wishing to build their own cottages , and paying wholesale " price upon the spot , without payment for carnage , I will undertake to return 87 . 'an acre , instead of 5 / ., " for the timbejy-and I will undertake ' to produce as much , sawdust—not to feed pigs , likethe Havex—but as will burn into ashes , and produce the best manure for twenty acres of ground . There are trees there valued at more than seven tons of timber—oak tfees- ^ -and , of I course , those could not be felled till May , when the bark strips . There are fir trees there , which Mr . Culltngham estimated at over three
tons to the tree . In this estimate I make no calculation of what is called LOP and TOP , which is always considered as the . buyer ' s profit ; nor do I make any estimate of the hundreds . of waggon-loads of firewood , with the best market in England for such-stuff , and every particle of which should be economically converted into cash . - So much for purchase money , and money returned from sale of timber , leaving the payment at 327 . per acre .. Then , as to building materials , I undertake , and I will put it down lowly , to return 47 . an acre , leaving 287 . I am
aware that this difficulty will occur—that the man who pays for eight acres or for lour acres at the stipulated price—that is , at the wholesale price—^ will expect that he is to get eight acres of the best land for that amount ,-while the man paying the stipulated price for one acre may presume that he is to pay that amount for the worst acre , thus compelling him to pay as much for the worst acre as another man should pay for the best acre , or leaving me in such an awkward
dilemma as would give general dissatisfaction ; hut , in order to prevent after-claps , it must be distinctl y understood that each member will pay for his allotment according to the value fixed upon it by fan : valuation . I bought Minster Lovel for 30 / . an acre , and sold some for 67 / . 10 s . I made a profit of nearly 307 . an acre upon other estates , and refused over 507 . an acre profit upon a portion of meadow ground at Sing ' s End ; however , every working man understands that he will not get a loaf of bread made- with -first flour for the same
price that he will get a loaf of household bread for ; and he must understand that he will not get a fat pig for the same price that he would pay for a lean pig j and if we had not this distinct understanding I will show you what my " SOLEMN POSITION , " in the > woras of the informer , Powell , would be . ' . " » I would get the exact amount to pay for the estate , according to the only standard that I can fix at present ; and then the man paying for the eight acres , according to that standard , would say , "Oh , come , give me my eight acres , I'll stand nout of this sort , " and then" SUM NUM THAT WOR WORSE NOE
StTAI . NlTAL'V who had paid alike sum would say , "Eh dom it , mun , dust think I'm goin ' ^ to pay for stone as much as yon chap is paying for the plum . Nay , I won't stand it , dom'd , I must have my money . " Now it is perfectly right that this should be critically understood—that each man will get the amount of land which the money he subscribed will pay for , and at the wholesale price in the retail market ; and the man who gets the least in q uantity will be much the best off ; while the strictest attention shall be paid to the sub-division , and the most critical account , in a printed form , as to the expense , shall be p laced in every member ' s hand .
So much with regard to Mathon , as respects the purchase and subdivision , and now a word as to it with regard to the most simple developement of the Labour Question . There are , now , about ten labourers employed , at low Wawes , on those 500 acres . Then take it under my plan , in the most unfavourable liwht , and suppose it to be divided into 125 allotments at four acres each , and no
occu-, pant of any one of those allotments employing a single individual for a single day in the year , and how stands the matter ? Why , that that estate—g iving unprofitable employment to ten slaves—would g ive profitable employment to 125 FREE LABOURERS ; and would produce more than twenty times as much as it now does . Then see the result—that land at 12 s . a . week paid
to ten labourers each , would pay . in labour 3127 . a year ; while to the 125 , at the same amount of wages , it would pay 3 , 9007 . a . year , while the interest pn the rent , at five per cent , npohthe 15 , 0007 . purchase money , would only amount to foOZ ., ornotafifth of the amount of wages earned by the free labourers that it would employ . Now , then , do you seethe different position occupied by the represented landlord and . the unrepresented labourer , and do you see the position in which the labourers of England can place themselves ? I think I hear Mr ; Booby . not be ail
sayinff , "But these men would labourers . " My answer is , that they are now nine-tenth of them labourers , and that their occupation upon their own land would thin the market in which they are now a surplus ; while , if not one single one of them was a labourer , each should employ a labourer at the -wages I state , or higher , while they would be better producers of fresher produce than we can < ret from foreign countries for the home consumers ; and the 125 freemen would be much better customers to every branch of trade , than the ten slaves now employed upon the
same estate . , ' ,,-, ,. « I trust that I have now placed the matter an such a clear and understandab le , light that no poor man can complain , and that no organ of faction can put him down as one of my juggled dupes ; I give my services free , and any estate that I purchsse upon the principle that I have laid down , in less than twelve months shall he turned from a wilderness into a paradise ; and in twelve months no man would take double-yea , treble—the price at which I was enabled to sell him his free labour . field .
Let it be clearly understood that I by no means confine this plan to Mathon , but that I will carry it on , without let or legal hindrance , or interference , to any amount that the con-
Startling Disclosures. To Joji Classes W...
fidence of the working classes enables me ; and the very same rules that apply to Mathon will apply to any other estate that I may purchase j while , I confess , that I should like to take the sting out of the vipers who rejoiced in my inability to complete the purchase of that property . Mathon is just under the Malvern Hills , hi , the most luxuriant valley in Engkhd ; ther § ' is a new carriage drive made round' ^ ie hill . from Great Malvern , which eyerlooks the estate : and what a sight it would be for the invalids taking their morning airing , to see the IDLE RASCALS AND VAGABONDS sucking the rich honey from the rich valley * swarming like bees upon the plain below , luxuriating in the delight , that they were living in the sweat of their own brow , and slaves to no man
Tfowycan the most fervid imagination depict a more lovely scene than that would be ? and let it be remembered , that most of the aristocracy would then have an opportunity of judgmg . M the-DEVIL ' S JUGGLE , as Great Majvern has now become the 'fashionable resoft of that" class , and the best market for vegetables , ' poultry , milk , butter , eggs , and other produce . „ ' ^ I-shall now conclude by calhW the attention of all to the admirable article written "by Sidney Smith , in the " Weekl y ,: Dmatcti '' of last Saturday , and which deserves the atteh : tWe perusal , not only of the labouring classes / but of all classes of society—when , I think , all will admit that I HAVE LIVED DOWN
PREJUDICE . I must state that the unsuccessful members who paid-Bonus for the Bromsgrove Estate , have received their money back by return of post—that is ; those who remitted their receipts to the Directors . In all cases where unsuccessful competitors require the repayment of their Bonus , they must forward their receipts to the Land Office , and they will receive thenrespective amounts by return of post . I remain , , . - Tour faithful Friend and unpaid Bailing Feargus O'CoittfOK . Friday Morning .
P . S . —HURRAH ! I have purchased the Mathon Estate again , and when my friend Mac of the " Worcester Journal" comes over to see if " SUM ' tfUM ARE WORS NOR SUM NUM , " he'll not find a ' clodpole " Jem" upon the estate to have a drinking bout with him , but I'll show him such a scene as will gladden his heart , and make him REEL without a drop of the vine juice . Now , then , if the people have shown confidence in me , I have proved my confidence in them . I have paid a second deposit out of my own money , and therefore I shall expect that each
subscriber will remit a portion of his share money next week . Indeed , there is no possible reason why those who wish to become purchasers should not send the whole of their money at once , in order that the purchase may he completed without delay . I have not stated in my letter what I now ' state iu the postscript , namely , that I will see to the building of the houses of all who wish to build upon their allotments , so that they shall have the benefit of co-operation and my unpaid services . Everyman ' s house should be built according to his own fancy , and every man shall have , all the materials , bought wholesale , retailed to him at the wholesale price . If this Land
Purchase Company goes on as it ought to -go on , I will surrender my seat in Parliament , and devote my days .-and nights to the practical developement of the Labour Question ;• and , if the" purchasers choose , I will cultivate" the whole 500 acres upon the principle of-co-operation ; and , let it be understood , that there is a splendid limestone quarry belonging to the estate , several sandpits also upon the estate , while , for Snig ' s End , I had to draw the sand nearly six miles . I will take care that every allotment has a hig h-road frontage , and I pledge my character—which is dear to me and to the working classes—that equal justice shall be done to all in the distribution , and that there shall not be a dissatisfied man
upon the estate , or one who , if he is unwilling to hold , will not get a good and solvent tenant , willing to pay him over ten per cent , upon his outlaj . The deposit must be paid , and the legal expenses for transfer must be paid at once , as lawyers are not men who will wait for their fees . JTo circumstance of my life has given me so much pleasure and satisfaction as the re-purchase of this estate ; and , as I promised Mi * . Ricakdo , the hon . member for Worcester , and the treacherous reviler of the Land Plan , I will treat him as I promised , upon the next general election .
Now , working men of England , it is for you to work out your own salvation , as , depend upon it , WHAT IS TO BE DONE FOR
THE PEOPLE , MUST BE DONE BY THE PEOPLE—and with the assistance of your co-operation I will save the estates of the landlords from Jew-jobbers and moneygrubbers , as I will give the full value for them in the market ; twill save the shopkeepers and the middle classes from rain , the people from starvation , and the country from a bloody revolution . With your confidence my energy will return , and I have never for a moment lost hope in that confidence , however I may bo attacked by the vengeance of the Press , or the ingratitude of those to whom I have been a benefactor . I will show you how to gain your political rights , by the possession of a small modicum of your social privileges .
I trust that next week ' s " Star" will prove that my confidence-has not been misplaced ; and I pledge myself that your fondest hopes shall be ; more than realised , as there is not a working man in England who ia not con fident that I would rather starve , than misapply a'farthing of his money . I have purchased the estate at the same price as before . F . ; 0 'C .
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JLU XJXCj J \ JJJJ \ J S . ± SUM ( 3 t / JL \ XXLCi BBOMSGBOVE ESTATE . My DearChilbeen , Ton will he located in your own houses on Monday ; and -were it not that my motion for the PEOPLE'S CHAHTER comes on . on Tuesday night , nothing should debar me of the pleasure of seeing smoked slaves metamorphosed into perfumed freemen . You will see that I have directed that the horses and labourers shall be continued at work for a fortnight after you are located , while other managers , who have grabbed your money and put you in possession , would not be found to continue their labours . Now , let me beg and entreat of y ou to co-operate with one another , as , rely upon it , that by the co-operation of Labour alone can the injurious co-operation of its enemies be destroyed .
On Monday , after the allotments are selected ! I have to request a meeting of the several occupants , in order that they may hear Mr BoruB read the article from the " Weekly Dispatch , " upon the value of'Labour applied to the Land . ¦; . It is indispensable that the Members to be located should be present , to select their allotments , as Mi-: Doyle cannot be held responsible for the neglect of others ; and I may re-
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mind allivhodojiot choose to lead a countiy life , that they will be able to secure ten per cent . ' for the Bonus given for possession , from a goo'd and solvent agricultural labourer , who will cheerfully coin his sweat into gold . If some of the allottees upon tho other estates had not foolishl y and ignorantl y reviled the Land Plan , in the hope of extracting the poor man ' s money from my-fears , every one of them would have been in a flourishing position by this time . Wishing you comfort , happiness , and success , . J remain , Your fond and affectionate friend , Feargus O'Connor ,
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;. Me;\Kydd's,Tour. Lo.Thb Epitou Of The...
; . ME ;\ KYDD'S , TOUR . lO . THB EpiTOU OF THE NORTHERS STAB . Dear " Sir—Since I wrote to you I have lectured at a numbqr ofplaces , among them Rochdale , Hebdea Bridge , Halifax , and Ripponden . In those towns _ jny audiences improve . It is with pleasure that ^ observ © the desire "for solf-improvemont among the youth of those districts . "At Hebden Bmbge and Rippoxde }? there are libraries belonging to the Association , as there are in most places . Classes , tqp , are . formed for mutual improvement , by learning j granimar , arithmetic , cfec . This is welt Tho . good effects of the Ten Houns Bill are everywhere ' manifest ; and an increase ' of self-education is among its most ; happy results . Mechanics'
Institutions liavo long been " genteel "—too much so by half to be of practical value to the workman . Their democratic libraries and ' reading-rooms will fill up the cap , and in the ^ end prove to be truly Mechanics Institutions . They are founded on a desire for political knowledge—it is their very basis—and the young workman : thinks no subject too sacred ibr inquiry . Politics are carefully eschewed by the societies favoured by the annual commendations of the " Baincses" and " Morpeths . " The object of these two kinds of institutions is not the same ; the one makes knowledge accessible for pleasure and ornament—the other for utility and the possession of political power . The want of unrestricted reading and thinking has been lonsr felt , and the
young Democrats are last supplying the desideratum . The results will be desirable . Let the " priests of the evil faith" beware . I have before now had occasion to remark on the mean , searching despotism practised by some of the manufacturers of this district , and every renewed visit but tends to corroborate former impressions . I wish that it were otherwise : no one , I am sure , would he more happy than the writer to notice favourable changes . It was my lot to hear tales at Ripponden that I could wish to be conveyed to the ears of those who talk largely about the blessings of commerce and the fulness of our civil and religious liberty . Cant , mere cant ; words , wordsand nothin * more . Better than a year ago , a
number of hands struck work : they gave in . The leading men among the workmen , of course , hoped , like the others , to be employed again—and so they were . But mark the humiliating degradationthey bowed on their knees , and sued for leave to toil , the " Young Masters" walking round and round them , cracking a whip . Yoimg slave drivers—old slaves . This is England—free England—cherished land of the Christian and freeman ! Could Turk , or West Indian Planter have done more ? Ignorant , cruel , cold , rich monsters that you are ! know ye not that the day of retribution must come ? Have you forgot how you begged and prayed , coaxed and swore , in 1842 and 1848 ? Your special-constabloship is surely not forgotten ? ; Speak of stilling
men up to revolt and insurrection . Fudge ! I say ; the deeds of yourselves beget your fears . It is Ihe memory of the " whip , " the recollection of the scourge of wealth , that forces hungry men to the commission of deeds of madness and revenge . And who are these young masters V let me ask . The sons of men who fifty years ago were labourers . They have drunk of wealth to repletion , btlfc they know not its use . Their lust of power has been fed to intoxication , and it may one day be their ruin . Can these men be the future governors of England ? Humanity forbid ! Stir yourselves , workmen ; be not for : ever whipped by striplings . Your labour produces property . Why should you not possess it ? Reflect on that question , and think of the future .
j .-. On thecyeriing . Of Friday , theT 5 th ; I was present at a meeting originating because of a discussion between Mr . Meiklethwaite , editor of the Wakefield Journal , and the Halifax Board of Guardians . The meeting consisted of from 3 , 000 to 4 , 000 persons and was addressed at great length by Mr . Meiklethwaite on the ' subject of the Poor Laws generally , and the conduct of the Halifax Guardians in particular . A Mi \ Peacock , Union surgeon , had written that tlie dietary of the paupers , although not " superfine , " was almost too abundant . This superfine Peacock was most completely replied to by Mr , M . quoting . tables of dietary for other districts . A tabic of importance was referred to , viz ., the dietary table of the Wakefield House of Correction , from which it is proved that our dependent poor are
worse fed , than our punished criminals ; in other words , the honest husbandman , who by fifty years ' of industry has added wealth to the state , who has brought up a family in difficulty , and given hostages to his country , when too weak * to toil , is worse fed and worse clad than burglars and pickpockets . This subject is thus forcibly alluded to by Louis Blanc , in his book on the Organisatian of Labour . " Wo leave to the reflections of our readers the following figures extracted from the work of Sir Edward Bulwev' Lytton—England and the English : — ' The independent workman cannot procure , by his earnings , more than 122 ounces of food per week , including thirteen ounces of meat . The able-bodied pauper , at the charge of the parish , receives 151 ounces of food per week , including thirty-eight ounces of meat .
' The felon receives 239 ounces of food per week , including thirty , eight ounces of meat . ' "Which goes to prove . that in England the material condition of the criminal is better than that of the pauper maintained by the parish , and that of the pauper maintained by the parish bettor than ¦ th at of the lionest man who works for his living . That is monstrous , is it not ?" Kbmoremonstrous , than true . Who do you propose to improve ? The criminal , ( saysthe prison reformer)—do so , and you give a premium for crime . The pauper—do so , and you encourage pauperism .
You cannot improve the condition of the labourer with your present system of " DeviRakc-thc-hindmost" fre ' etradeand competition . When I think of it / Iani astonished when I know that our legislators donbtthink ' ofit , with but few exceptions . . I am melancholy—the . future seems all chaos—all'doubt . The Halifax' inooting , after an elaborate investigation and narration of facts , passed an unanimous resolution , condemning the entire New Poor Law experiment , and . 'blaming the Halifax Board of Guardians in particular .
On Sunday I lectured at Padiham , to good audiences , but ' w , a ' s . compelled to leave early , because of pressing circumstances . " ' ^ Samuel Kydd .
—Jas^P*" The Land And Labour Question. T...
—jas ^ p *" THE LAND AND LABOUR QUESTION . TO AIR . YPALTOipANb THE BRITISH
:: ' trades ; Sir , —As an admirer of all who make it their study to propound plans really , calculated to mitigate the miseries of the toil-worn slave , 1 was highly gratified to observe the bold stand taken by the London Trades " in defence , " ( not of the divine right of kino ' s , ) but of the divine rights of man , as amoral , intelligent , and responsible being , as well as the divine right to labour ^ and . live by that labour . At public meetings , and in your letters ,-you have boldly contended that the labourer is entitled to . the full benefit of his labour , andhas . no ri ght to be contented with the pittance his necessities compel him to accept from the , money-mongering capitalist . Now , ' sir , as you and the London Trades have pointed out the evils of the present system , and also" directed attention to the only permanent remedy—the Land , I sincerely hope you will not
stop * there ; that you will not be satisfied with sending a few petitions to parliament , enforcing your claims to inhabit the wastes of your , country . Although , I readily admit the influence of the wellorganised Trades , I am afraid the Whig government iu all but inaccessible to that influence ; unless you in the first place convince them that you can do without them , they will only be ready to help those who can help themselves . Up , then , and be doing : do not deprive the government of the pleasure and expense of cultivating the waste lands as long as there is plenty of land to purchase otherwise , and better worth the paying for , at a fair price , than if you had the wastes for nothing . Possibly , you will exclaim—Where is the money to come from ? for without money it is impossible to purchase . I admit it . -But althougha poorman hasfew pounds , still he is a poor man that has no pence ; and as there arc many poor men the pence will become
—Jas^P*" The Land And Labour Question. T...
pounds . I would not wish to abridge the poor man ' s necessaries ; and ho is poor , indeed , who would not abridge part of his luxuries , for so noble a cause . But as the means must be in some riieasure proportionate to the end in view , to ensuresuccess , and the end is the complete emancipation of industry , which by the union of industry is perfectly attainable , this will easily supply . the the requisite capital . This capital applied to the purchase of land , and combined with the other leading branches of British industry , would very soon enable the slave to change positions with hie sordid and often unscrupulous master , who , instead of playing the tyrant as now / would soon have to compete With the free labour of his former slave , as well as to pay a free labour price for his slave labour . The true secret of buying cheap is to buy in large quantities , whether land or other raw material of
general manufacturers . This a well organised union of the industrial classes would be enabled to do , and of the best quality , and the land could be got not only of the best quality , but also in the , best locality : a small quantity of land , combined with manufactures [ if good land , ) . would enable a family to live in comfort and independence and riot only pay interest for the capital expended , but to pay back the capital in a . few years , and by that means save the , interest , and increase the capital of . the union . But as it is impossible in one letter to enter fully into " , the details , X / shall , with the , editor's leave , return . ; to' thla ^ subj . ect . In the meantime , I shall point out how the money could be i-aised .. I may say that :, ! So not . find fault with the schemes that have been propounded by others ; on the contrary , - some of theih I admire , and expect to see fully carried out , but still there is room for others ' . -
Instead of imposing any stated sum , I would propose that every member who joined the union should submit to a voluntary tax on their income or weekly wages ,. varying from 2 J to 5 per cent ., according as the amount is large or small ; so that if a man at anytime should lose employment oi health , he would not be called upon to pay what he did not receive ; neither would the man with . ten shillings a week be called upon to pay so much as the , man with thirty shillings , or even twenty shillings a week , but evei-y man would have to pay in proportion to his income ; but yet every man's account would be kept distinct , so that it could be seen how' much every one had paid at a glance , Brechin . A . Campbell . '
The Kirkdale Chartist Prisoners . Again....
THE KIRKDALE CHARTIST PRISONERS . AGAIN . TO THE EDITOR . OP THE NORTHF-IIS STAR . Sin , —In your Star of Saturday last , there appeared two letters originally emanating from Kirkdale Gaol . One signed " Mark W . Norman , " the other bearing the signature of " Daniel Donovan . " These letters have already caused great excitement and much unpleasant sensation in the minds ofthe Chartist members of this locality . The unfair insinuations contained . in the language of these epHlcs have created much anxiety , and severely wounded the feelings of the Manchester "Victim Committee . This committee have appealed to us for advice and legitimate protection Irom the imputations , which , if unchecked , are materially calculated to injure their meritorious reputations in
the eyes of their countrymen . We consider we should be wanting in common fidelity , if we refused to entertain the complaints of the victims , and also to listen to explanations afforded us by the above committee . We , the Chartist Council of this locality , have unanimously agreed to examine minutely the statements , differences , and grievances , manifested as above , and afterwards proclaim to the Chartist public the result of impartial investigations . Having , as in duty bound , read and heard the written and oral statements made by each party—the incarcerated victims and the Victim Committee , we are now reluctantly compelled to
express our deep sorrow and regret , when forced to behold the people ' s journal—the Star—containing language , as it does , of ingratitude and abuse , and also statements utterly at variance with truth , which is not only calculated to injure our sacred cause , but might , and we fear will , have a tendency to cool the ardour and humane fervour of our brethren—the Victim Committee—who are devoting their valuable time , night and day , with a view to lessctt'tho misery ofthe persecuted Chartist inmates of Kirkdale prison , as well as being the instruments in relieving their more unfortunate wives and families .
We are constantly and assiduously engaged night after night , in matters relative to petitioning Parliament for the establishment of the People ' s Charter ; and we cannot , at present , do more than merely give a bare outline of a few facts in opposition to assertions made by Mrs . White and Mrs . Donovan . By your kind permission , sir , we will next week endeavour more fully to analyse and afterwards announce in the Star the final result of our investigation . In the meantime , we hope and trust for truth's sake , your readers and our Chartist brethren will suspend their decisive judgment until
then , when our conclusive particulars shall be impartially exhibited to the world . Still the Victim Committee request the income and expenditure to be laid before an intelligent public in order that something like a proper estimation may be taken of their past labours on behalf of ungrateful men . Here then'follow the various items , as received and forwarded for and to each of the aforesaid victims and theirfamilics . We do not attach any blame to you sir , for inserting the letters of Norman and Donovan . All we request is , that you will accommodate us by giving publicity to this , our report , and result of our deliberations , Your compliance with this request will oblige Youvs respectfully ,
In the cruse of universal Liberty , The Chartist Council of Manchester Locality . Thomas Mather , Jons Owen , George Tver , Peter Lloyd Edward Jones , Robert Wolsteniiolme , William Roach , Robert Faulkner , William Shelmerdine , Treasurer . John Jackson , Secretary . George Henry Smith , Chairman , People ' s Institute , Council Kooni , ' 19 th Juno , 1849 . £ . s . d . Sent by Committee to Prison for food 53 0 0 Postage stamps ... ... " ... 1 11 9 To cooking utensils ... ... . ; . 14 2 To post office orders ... ... 0 7 9
Total £ 50 3 8 Additional money given in prison by friends , viz ., W . P . lloberts ... 5 0 0 Thomas Clark ... 0 10 0 Mi-. Aitkcn ... 2 00 Mr . Cooper . ; 2 2 2 Mr . Grindrod ... 0 7 C Mi \ Booth ... ... ... ... 0 10 0 Total . £ 10 13 C They are supplied with pens and paper . Sent by London Committee to Mrs .
Donovan , from January 18 th to JunelGth . " ¦ . ; : ... ... 5 0 0 By Manchester Committee ... o g o By the Council ... ... ... 0 11 0 Leeds , January 31 st . . ... ... 0 15 0 Rochdale . ' .... 080 Mr . Barker ... 0 5 0 Another source ( per week ) ... 0 5 0 Mrs . Leach , per London Committee 5 9 0 Mrs . Rankin , per London Committee 4 18 0 Mrs . Clark , ditto . ... ' 4 . 12 . 0
To The Editok Of The Northern Star. Sin,...
TO THE EDITOK OF THE NORTHERN STAR . Sin , —We , tfie undersigned wives of the incarcerated men now in Kirkdale Prison , send our thanks to the Committee of Manchester for their labours in our behalf . Wo think they have done thenduty as honest men towards each and all of iis , _ as far as they have had it in their power and for which we return our marked thanks both to them , and the public at large . At the time the money was sent from Leeds , there was none sent from
London , as was stated in the Star of the 10 th . We think it our duty to the men now . acting on the Committee , to make this statement in vindication of their character . The money sent from Leeds was Mrs . Leach fifteen shillings ; Mrs . Donovan fifteen shillings ; Mrs . C . Cropper six shillings Mrs . Rankin nothing ; but the Manchester Committee voted Mrs . Rankm eight shillings , which i Ustice can only say was right . We remain , sir , Your much obliged servants , F . G . Cropper , and Mrs . Rankin ..
The Morning Advertiser ^ Says,—" Every D...
The Morning Advertiser says , — " Every door or passage is pregnant with instruction to the patron of beggars , as the beggar-marks show that a system of freemasonry is followed , by which a beggar knows whether it will be . worth his while to call ; " If a-thousand towns are examined , the samp marks will be found at every passage entrance . "
The Morning Advertiser ^ Says,—" Every D...
MR . WHEELER'S J ' STARTLING PLSOLO > SURES . "—THE O'G'OXiXORYILLE L' & IATE ! " ~ T TO THE EDITOR OF Tuft XOTTINOHA 5 I HKVIKW . Sir , — ' Our attention having been drawn to two i articles jwliich lately appeared in your paper ,, and in which our names are mentioned , and as we i are there reported to have made certain statements ,, we trust to your sense of justice toallow us , on behalf i of ourselves and brother allottees , the opportunity J of correcting the mistatements andexagg « vationsof ' } ' ° 4 r corespondents . x 0 w , Sir , from the writing ; ° f ' , " we wpre led to expect something terrible , , as he speaks of 'The extreme- follv and " ' perverse : wickedness of Mr . O'Connor in propounding the
scheme . But , after an attentive ' perusal , had he not . . wilfully misrepresented ' the : conversation he held with some of us , wo should have been content to have treated his bombastic ravings with eonr tempt . The second paragraph supplies us with the reason of this diatribe ; it is . evidently the snarling ot a disappointed partisan , ' trying to oust Mr . O'Connor from the representation of Nottingham . Vain lu . pe : it will require something stronger than the conversations booked by " B „ " whether they n-re those ofthe cottager ' s wife , or that " specimen c £ ' rural simplicity , " whose intellectual abilities enabled him to state that ¦ " Sum ' num are -mors nur nun '' num . " We will now come to the conversation with Merrick , which is marked with that exasperation that
runs through the whole article ,, ( as , for instance , turning a simple tri-colotired flag ' into a splendid banner ) . But here the writer has overshot hisinark , for even if Merrick had stated that" the occupants were in great distress , brought on by their own imprudence , and the habit of cocking up their little fingers •" . does not " B . "—or Booby—seo that that would be no argument against Mr , O'Connor or the practicability of the Land Plan ? and in the next paragraph he speaks of the " magnificent schoolhouse , and thirty-six beautiful ec-ttflges—I should think more commodious than any that the allottees had previously dwelt in ;' - ' rather a strange ; proof this of " the extreme folly or-perverse wickedness " , of their founder . Oh ,. pveiudice ! how thou dost
blind the eyes of thy votaries I We will pass oyer . the , colouring given to his report of the other interviews , till we come to that with Mr . Heatonj from W . igan , who / , never . ^ liad-A daughter , and therefore could not allude to her ; in fact , the . whole , except . "in reference to Mr ., Knott , is a tissue of fabrications , having birth inthc fertile imagination of "B ., " who seems to think that he can safely indulge in generalities . But Mr . "B . " must not think to get out of it . like that ; he has given the names of ' other parties , why not of-thosewhom he states are starving ? Why , because he knew at the time it was an unmitigated lie , He professes groat sympathy with our "deplorable condition ; why not , then , have published the names of these persons , that they might have received
some tangible ' proof of the sympathy ot the benevolent ? - That' would have been the conduct of a philanthropist , but his sympathy and censure are alike valueless to us . We then come to Tawes , and it is a tact — and let " B . " make the most of it—that the parish doctor did visit his child when she had the fever ; but it is also a . fact , he did not apply to him , but to a private practitioner , who informed him , that in this parish it was the usual practice for all the small ratepayers to have medical advice given them , and that he might as well conform to the ordinary custom of this part , especially as ho stated that owing to the distance he could not come to visit her under six shillings per journey , besides charging for medicine ; and , surely , that is better than all the family beingdependent on the parish , as they were before they
came here . As for Mr . T . M . Wheeler , and his " startling disclosures ,- " was he not U ware that political renegades are lost to all sense of shame , he might have been tempted to have tried to raise a blush on the check of 'B ., ' by relating some particulars concerning a trafficking politician of the name of Brooksbank , who has long been hawking his principles—or rather want of principle—in the political market , and is now willing to give his " literary abilities " to any party that will pay ; and that those abilities are versatile , is evidenced by his newspaper articles , as contrasted with his epistles " To James Brown and other Agricultural Labourers , " written in this
style -. —" Dear iem : You are a good brick ; do you remember the jolly drinking bout we had at the School-house ? ' I send you a slip of the Nottingham Keview , and hope to have another jolly good fuddle with you before long ; in the meantime send mo anything you can pick up about O'Connor , and them poor deluded fellows . " And " Dear Jem , " who it seems is a worthy companion to his correspondent , and has visited the interior of most of the lock-ups in the neighbourhood , declares that , in order to prove that he is a Goon Brick , he will furnish anyone with talcs as long as they will find " lush ; " and this is the person to whom " B . " refers all who may want to know anything about our present condition or future
prospects . Sir , such being the character of one of your correspondents , no wonder that it ^ Y . ^ s t hought " that many would be disposed to doubt the veracity of his statements , " and therefore wo have Mr . H . Bradbury valiantly comiii"' to the rescue , and ho , as well as "B . " was so charmed with the beauty ofthe surrounding scenery , and the general appearance of the Estate , that they both became absolutely poetic . Mi-. Bradbury has not hesitated to sacrifice truth for the sake of a finely rounded period . If , as he states , Tawes's cheek was wan , it is the result of his former occupation in the unhealthy factories of Nottingham , and not the result of the pure air of O'Connorvillc ; and the best answer to this question
is the concurrent testimony ot all who knew him , on his arrival , as to his vastly improved personal appearance , and his own declaration , that he never enjoyed better health or was more contented in his mind ; his children , he also declares , are strong and hearty , the pictures of ruddy health , and with the exception of the one who had the fever , they have all enjoyed better health than they ever did at ^ Nottingham ; " their wan and careworn cheeks , and heavy languid g lances , " existing only in the imagination of their poetic visitor , who must have been thinking of their former condition , when they were the slaves of those petty tyrants who lord it over the children in the factories , and not of their present proud state , as the children of an independent English labourer , who , like the rest
of us , call no man master , and trust by a judicious application of our energies to the cultivation of the soil , to bo enabled to convince our fellow working men that the means of their redemption is in their own hands whenever they like to turn their attention to the obtaining the possession of the Land . But both . Eradoury and " B ., " in the " depth of their sympathy for what they are pleased to call Tawes ' s destitute state , wilfully keep out of sightr the fact , that before he came here to be a ' * victim to O ' Connor's perverse wickedness , " such was his prosperous condition , that for months he had been an inmate of a poor law bastile , where the food he now enjoys would have been considered a positive luxury ' ; but it did not suit their purpose to mention this .
It is true , as stated by Mr . Lambouvne , that owing to the dearness of provisions on our first arrival , and the failure of the potato crop , both years we have had many difficulties to encounter ; and where is the working man or tradesman who can say he has passed over the last two years without difficulty ? but ho did not say , neither is if true , that persons with families will not bo able to'get a-living here : we believe the reverse to be the . case . Mr . Bradbury says , lie " was surprised to know how Mr . House had subsisted for two' years , if he had not received any remuneration for his labour ; " thus trying to put svfalsc construction on his saying that "he had not derived any profit " —that is , had not got more than he could by day labour , and he omitted that Mr . House said , when he went out to work he was obliged .- ' to partly neglect his own allotment ; so away fly all Mi-. Bradbury ' s comparisons and inferences when brought ; to the touchstone of truth .
In conclusion , we would recall to his mind tho statements made by him at a public meeting held here . during his stay , when he stated on the platform that it far surpassed all his preconceived ideas on the question , and that the height of his ambition would be to live and die on such a spot , and in such company , and that his latest aspirations should be for tho welfare of its founders ; and this , bo it remembered , on the ilrird day ot " his sojourn amongst us , and after the interviews with the schoolmaster arid Tawes , so pathetically described . Let any unprejudiced person compare this statement made in the presence of the parties , with his letter to a newspaper that he knew we did not usually see , and they will have no hesitation which to believe . Finally , we shall bo
glad for those still in doubt to visit us , and judge for themselves , as although we are often annoyed by tho impertinent questions of some parties , we are at all times glad to give any information to persons , desirous of knowing the truth , in order that they may improve the condition of the working classes . This our experience teaches us can be best accomplished by their location on the land , even though they should have to encounter the difficulties stated by Bradshaw and B ' . to be the lot of Thomas Merrick , John Lambourxe , . ¦ - ' Richard Avison , Sarah Heaton , George Pocock , Wimaam House , , Charles Tawes , Benjamin Knott , Thomas Martix Wheeler , Thomas Ireland ,
Chairman of a public meeting of the allottees . George Wm . Whbeeer , Sec . O'Connorvillc , June 26 th , 1849 .
^Vw^^Yy^^^^^^^Ks^^^Y * * R ** ** The Fnn...
^ vw ^^ yy ^^^^^^^ ks ^^^ y * * r ** ** The Fnnxcn expedition to Pvonie has already cost 41 , 000 , 000 sterling .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), June 30, 1849, page 1, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/ns2_30061849/page/1/
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