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THE NORTHERN STAR , SATURDAY , JANUARY 8, 1848.
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Co ££auerg & Comsuonmn is.
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• Ciotae It in Words.'—Sheekx. LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE WORKINd MEN OF ENGLAND ASSOCIATED IN TRADE TJN1ONS, ON THE NECESSITY OF A CHANGE.
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ECGB.NB SUE'S NEW TALE..
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-r=^___^__—m^^j^-^^ Zn"" ". JU5T FCBLISHEl i (Uiiforta with the " Laiobrks" il3gaiina,) Price 6d.
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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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PRIDE , OR THE DTJCHESS . The £ r * t volume of this dramatic picture of High lift > » J |* R " i , T ^ in Paris ) , is given in Part 56 of the FAMILY HERALD for January , price only Sixpence , / he PamJy Heraldu a domestic ^ of «« fai information and amusement , a cheerful and instructire fireside companion . he KdcJme guest of ererj borne , ^ . . P ^^ XaI moit popular Periodical over Pnbl"bea .: ^!?^ bot 1 / reads and all Booksellers i . U the Family 1 Herald . A eingle perusal will test its menU . Order Part 06 .
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IUPO RTAKT KOTICB . nrms L 0 SD 05 ERS IIAYB BEGUK A HOME FOB f HOSE 3 T INDUSTRY . Patrons — T- S . Dmicoinbe , Esg ., M . P ., T . TTakley , EH-. M P- » B- Bond Cabtell , Esq ., M . P . JTare you read the Tract on the Land sat Bail jing Society for the "Wecking Milliene t If n « t , get it . read it . Price only One Peany . Published for the Society , by G . Berger , 19 , Holywell-straet , Straad . Sold by all cheap boofawllers , ai * As Society '! agents : also to be had , with fall information , of Daniel William Ruffr , secretary , offices of the Sodetj , 13 , Tottenlism . co « rt , Hew-road , St FancraB , London , bj sending three postage stamps .
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PORTRAITS OF FEABGUS O'CONNOR , TH 0 HA 3 DUSCOHBB , AND OTHER GREAT LEADERS . mHE adTertiser is commisiioied to iitpose of 189 Pici turs Frames , suitable for the aboTe portraits , at about halt the usual prices , News Agents will Snd this an opportunity which seldom occurs , as they must be cleared cut in ' a few days . Note down the addrsts . Samuel Holmes , St Gregory ' s Church Alley . Norwich , here all orders will meet ¦ mVx prompt attention .
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PORTRAIT OF FEARGUS O'CONNOR , Esq ., M . P . T MARTIFinforms his meads and the Chartistbody . generally , that he has reduced the price of his I 4 hosraphic full-length portrait of tkeir Illustrious Chief to tie foilowias price : —Prints , Is ; coloured ditto , 2 s . 6 d .
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TO TAILORS . Kow Ready , by approbation of her Majesty , Queea 'Victoria , and H . K . H . Prince Albert , THE LONDON and PARIS AUTUMN and WINTER FASHIOKS for 18 i 7 and 1 S 48 , by Benjamin Read and Co ., 12 , Hart-street , Bloomsbury . square , London , zd& by Q . Berger , HolynelUtreet , Strand , London ; a most " magaificeat and superbly-coloured Print , surpassing erervtfciDg ef the kind previously published , scepm . parried with the most fashionable fuUsiia Dress , Riding , yrock , Hunting , and Wrapper Coat-pattern * , with eTery particular part for each complete . Also , the most fashionable and netve * i style Waisteoat Pattern , including the manner of Catting anct making np Ihe whole , with Information resoectinp the neir scientific system of Cutting , which will be published Jan . 1 , 18 * 3 , and will suoerEede everything of tha kind before conceived . Price ** 8 s : or , post free , to all parts of the kingdom , Us . Pa-* eot Measures , with full explanation . Si the set ( the greatest tnnroTement ever known ia tbe trade ) . Patterns to IE « a " .: t' sent post £ re * to all parts of the kingdom , 1 * each . . .
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A PRACTICAL TREATISE ON SPADE HUSBANDRY , fcerag & « results of four yidtsf eJtf « isaee . Bi J . Sillett . H'Gowan and Co ., 16 , Great WindmUi-streot , London and may be had of all booksellers .
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JFSTPUBLISHED . ? MCE SIXPIKO 1 , HO . XIII . OF " THE LABOURER , " OOVTEKT 3 . 1 . Tb . 6 Fnnaral of ths Year and its Epitapk , by Ernest Jones . 2 . Our New Tear ' s Address . 3 . iBsorrectioBS ot the Working Classes . —Ths Hen of Kent and Eisex . 4 . The Scotch Critics and the Land Company . 5 . Th « Romanes of a People . 6 . The Poor Maa's Legal Manual , 7 . National Literature— ' The Inferaal Comedy . 8 . Our National Defences . 9 . Literary Renew . Letters ( pre-pald ) to b » addressed to the Editors , 16 Great Windmill Street , Haymarket , London . Orders received by allagants for the "Northern Star " and all baoksellers in town and coumtry .
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Jwt Published , price One Penny , A LETTER by F * ambs O'CoNHAa , E «« ., U . P ., ' TO THB RICH AND THB POOR ; To those » ho Lire ia Idleness Without Labour , and to those who aro Wil . ling to Labour but Compelled to Starve . ' Price 2 b . per 109 . or 18 « . per 1000 . C 1 I 7 HAT MAY BE DONE WITH THREE ACRES V f OP LAND . ' Explainsd in a Letter , by Feixqci . O'Coknob , Esq ., M . P . To be had at the Office of tbe National Land Campany 141 , High Holborn .
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Now Ready , a . Now Edition of MR . O'CONNOR'S WORK ON SMALL FARMS . To be had at the Nerlhem Star OEeo , 16 , Great Wind mill Street ; and of Abel Hey weed . Manchester .
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THE PORTRAIT OF MR JOKES . This portrait will be in the hands of our Scotch agents in time for issue on tbe 29 th instant . Our agents in or aear Edinburgh will have their parcels foraarded to the care of Messrs W . and H . Robinson , 11 , Greenside-street . Parcels for other parts of Scotland to the care of Mr \ V . Love , 10 , Nelsonstreet , Glasgow . Our Yorkshire , Lancashire , Lincolnshire , Nottinghamshire . Derbyshire , Cheshire , Leicestershire ,
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TSTRODUCTOBT ADDRESS . ' Fellow Countrymen . —There needs no apology from one of your o * n order who , for the last thirty years of his life has been engaged in producing wealth for the erjoyrasnt of others , receiTing in return the very small pittance which , through the present social economy by which labour is regulated , generally falls to the lot of the l abourer ; maca less is it necessary from one who for twenty jean of that time has been engaged , co-operatively with his own trade , in endeavouring to sustain an honourable position for
labour in society , through whatever means that trade , either by itself , ia its co-operative capacity , or in union -with other trades , could In its wisdom devise : I shall , therefore , at once proceed to address you—you , who despite the deteriorating influences of the last fifty jeare , are still enabled to hold fast in thebonds of union , that good fellowship and spirit of fraternity knowa only to unionists , who , like myself , have been nurtured in its arms , who hare , and do experienca the strong attachments arising ont of the common sympathies of our nature , and reciprocated by men , whose thoughts , feelings , and actions are congenial with our own .
I propose , then , to write to you a series of letters on -ihe above-naraed snbjeet ; to you , tb . 8 men still in Onion—not that in addressing youi as members of a tM . de nnion , I wonld wish by you to be considered as exclusive ; not that because , as a unionist , I feel the * strong sympathies ' which belong necessarily to the nnited , but simply from thB conviction that there iB £ n the united trades a power which , if wisely directed , would be found efficient for the purpose of effecting—£ r . = i , Us owa emancipation ; after which the emancipation , of the working order generally . For this reason alone , then , Iaddre » s myself to yon—The working men of England in trade unions associatedonder the hope that my thoughts , ' clothed in words , ' orsy ceack same kindred spirits , warm with the lore of freedom , from whence alight may arise , which shall become tfee beacon of libsrty to the slave caste 3
of tho world . Thoso who endura Deep wrongs for man , and scorn and chains , bat heap Thousand fold torments on themselves and him , I need not tell you of the many difficulties wkich attend the settlement of a ! que 3 tion such as that proposed ; or of the many attempts heretofore made by some of the rsaater minds in almost evory trade to do so : of the thousand failures that have taken place , aad of tho present wrongs endured by our order ; it is enough for me that our wrongs exist , despite all our previous efforts to remove them . Yes , my brother Ke are the same slave caste , the mere 'hewers of wood and drawers of water ; ' without power , either socially or politically ; entirely dependent upon causes
beyenrf our- control for tha means of sustaining life from day to day ; while within us—with us—and by ns—is all the reality of our country's strength ; the ¦ weight of whick is even now crushing to death thousands of ns by whose labnnr tiat power was created . With all this we are acquainted ; therefore , I will not occupy your time by entering into details which will serve only to excite the passions , although I confess the difficulty of restraining the language of expression within the bounds prescribed by class made legislature . Still it mnst ba done , if ever we hope to progress beyond the present system of oppression ; for , with the Oppressed only can reform begin . Give me , then , your reason — your judgment — your reflections —y-nir deep , serioH 3 reflection—while I
endeavour to show you the reasons why I consider { hat a change is necessary is the application of trade union ? . I ask yon to weigh my every word with care , consider well the facts and figures that I shall advance in the forthcoming letters , and although it should hapf en that in the investigation of the subject proposed , I should be compelled to touch some of yonr long cherished prejudices , let it be remembered the progress made by society has been under the same difficulties . We love to conserve whatever we believe to ba right , and can never be persuaded to give it up until a strong internal or external powej : compels as to yield . Should , however , the strong conservative feeling of which I have gpoken , cause the passions to predominate , when the Wh
fit has passed , a 3 fc yoHiaelves this question ; y are we yet Btrong in numbers and bo weak in power ? the answer , must be , there are errors in practice with H 3 somewhere , or the advantages of our combinations would be manifested in the improved state of ourscfrei and families . And then reflect upon the proofs 3 g&in . Ask yourselvesagaiD , and again ; . Why is it that it is so ? For my object in writing ' these letters will be to show , thnt tha policy which -we ara now pursuing , however good it might have been in ages that are gone , is of no advantage to ps Dow ; that whilst society has made great progress in general information ! we the members of trade onions , holding fast the long cherished conviction that our combination wag all sufficient for our
security , have actually sunk in the scale of intelligence , the nroof of which may be clearly seen in the continual efforts that we make to secure for _ our labour a just remuneration . We still cry ' strike , ' and the enthusiasm is echoed through our ranks like the sound of a talisman . Strike , and for what . ? To snstaia ourselves against the weight of competitive " labonr stru ggling for life , capital , machinery , EQCial-eh . iCSH 9 | 3 n ( J political ^ monopoly , in which we resemble a man under the iefluence of strong drink who imagines himself aHercules in physical strength , and in the attempt to exercise it with the shadow ef
his frenzied creation , falb . by the weight of his own effort . With this evil I have determined to battle , and I call upon you , the men of thought and energy in the ranks of labour , to come forward to the help of one , who , with your exertions , will leave nothing undone to flace the wealth producer in the condition of & free man , instead of the veritable slave that he now is . In ihe naina of ail that is good , then , put your shoulder to the wheel , for if the present system of distributive robbery be suffered to continue , it mutt finally destroy that union which even now exists ss 3 monument of labour's strength and of labour ' s folly , but capable of being made the lever of redemption to the human race , which is the aim and end of A Twenit Ykakb * Umo » l : t . Lonaoa , 5 th of January 848 .
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NOTICE . In reply to J- S ., Nottingham , Mr O'Connor bega to say that not only will he receive subscriptions for the defence of his seat , but further , holding the trust for others , and not for his own benefit , he would consider it a very great injustice to be called upon to pay one shilling out of his own pocket ; and as to the mode of transmitting the money , let nil monies upon that account be addressed by Post-office order , payable to Feargus O'Connor , and directed to ' Mr Wm . Rider , Northern Star Office , 16 , Great Windmill-street , London . '
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THE TOWN HOUSE OF CHARTISM .
There is an ominous deficiency in the quarter ' s revenue , of considerably above a million ; the taxes have increased , but the Excise and Customs have decreased—fearful signs of the decay of home production and of foreign trade ; pauperism is spreading with rapid strides over the country , and as one pauper drags another after him , the canker of poverty keeps growing' upwards on the social tree , affecting more and more , with every day , those upper ranks that thought themselves secure ; misery breeds discontent ; discontent , disruption of the artificial links of society j ;
fresh bayonets and bludgeons are required to keep the ferment down , increasing taxation , and , by this , the evil they are intended to prevent ; the metropolis teems with rising palaces , a few men obtain employment in their erection , and then perish houseless in sight of the very piles they have railed ; the Queen builds new residences , and adds to those she possessed , while the Unions are insufficient to shelter the poor!—in the midst of this Chartism walks sternly through the streets—looking , amidst the vast chaos of wealth and miserylooking amid the homes of idleness , luxury , and power—looking for its home as well , in that city where every other faction has obtained a home .
True , Chartism m the North has many country-houses ; it has its Halls in Manchester , Oldham , Leeds , Birmingham , etc . — but it yet lacks its Town-house . It has no dwelling with its name on the door , showing : it is not ashamed to own it—there is no" CHARTIST HALL" in London , worthy the metropolis . We are happy to find that the London Chartists intend remedying the deficiencyand , although we attach no value to bricks and mortar , as a qualification for the franchise , we think that , in this instance , bricks and mortar would prove a powerful aid towards a national organisation of the movement . As
in London we behold the heart of monopoly , the focus of class-legislation , so ought London to present a worthy front of opposition . As the synodfof faction is housed in St Stephen ' s , so ought Chartism to confront it in its own abode—so ought it to have a fixed habitation to point to , and boldly to write its name on the entablature of its own palace . This would , at once , prove the power and unity of the movement—it would be a rallying point to metropolitan Chartism—it would take it from the pothouse ; it would rescue it from the exclusiveness of one circle ; its open doors would invite the stranger to enter , hear , and become a convert—whereas now . the obscure local
gathering passes unnoticed and unknown ; it would give the stamp of dignity and permanency to the movement , and be a place worthy for the Sessions of England ' s NATIONAL
CONVENTION . We attach much value to a good metropolitan organisation , of which a Hall has now become an indispensible requisite . A metropolitan demonstration has'twice the effect of a provincial one , from this evident reason ); a northern gathering is remote j two or three Hundred miles may intervene j the voice of the meeting comes deadened by the roar of the train ; the people's will loses power in expression , when conveyed only on a sheet of paper ;
bring that meeting in juxta-position with the seat of power ; let the living voice ring in the ear of faction , instead of a dead letter flitting past its eye , —then it becomes too near to be trifled with , —the impediments of distance and delay cease to exist , and as , in business , a personal interview is more effective than a tedious correspondence , so the personal presence of Chartism in the very home of faction will command that respect , the knock at the distant door of its outer cOurts can never
challenge . It is for these reasons , we think , notf London alone , but the country as well , " ought to take up the question of a Metropolitan Hall . The localities may answer , tbey have enough to do . in erecting halls for themselves j—hut we icply , this too would be a Hall fer themselves ,
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—it would be a Hall , not only for London , but for the nation . We have alluded to the National Convention—a body that ought to meet annually with the meeting of Parliament , to watch and act on its proceedings—and this Hall would be a fiting senate house for England's Democracy . We trust , and doubt not , that the metropolis and country will further the undertaking with energy and enthusiasm , and that the Hall will be worthy of the cause ; for , let our friends
remember , it would be better to have no Hall at all , than one insignificant in dimensions , and thus unworthy of the cause . Spaciousness is a necessary requirement j the committee should erect a Hall , commensurate with the vastness of our movement and the numbers it embraces , or they had better build none . But we doubt not that the judgment and energy of the committee who . have so laudably undertaken this great work , will carry it to a judicious and successful issue—and sincerely do we wish them all good speed !
We trust , however , that the NAME of the CHARTER will . be inscribed boldly on its walls ,
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THE TEN HOURS' ACT . After more than thirty years * struggle , the Ten Hours' Bill at last received the sanction of the Legislature in the last session of the late Parliament . No single act of modern times was preceded by such ample and full discussion . Public meetings by the thousand were held upon the subject . Numerous pamphlets were issued , and the newspaper press was almost constantly debating it . Four
Select Parliamentary Committees investigated and reported , and the question was the theme of discussion in almost every successive session of every Parliament during that long period , At length , in spite of the most poVerfuI opposition , the advocates of the measure had the gratification of seeing the " Bill" become an "Act , " and looked forward to the first of next May , when the tenhoura' clause ia to come into operation , with pleasure , as the final termination of their struggles , and the full consummation of their labours .
Certainly if ever the decision of the Legislature upon any subject was entitled to respect , it was in this case ; but it appears that the determined opponents of the measure are resolved to make yet another fight against its introduction , and to endeavour to prevail upon Parliament , immediately upon its re-assembling , to repeal the ten hours' clause before it can come into operation . The mode adopted by these parties is exceedingly ingenious , but at the same time so transparent , that it can deceive no one as to its real character . They have formed what they call a " Millowners '
Association , " but this association does not take upon itself the task of soliciting a repeal of the law . That is to be done . by the factory operatives themselves , for whose signatures the "Associated Millowners" have preparedja petition , in which they set forth , among other reasons for repeal , that the limitation of the hours of labour to ten , will come into operation at a time when the petitioners would otherwise be able , as they reasonably expect , by working eleven hours , to make up , though but partially , for the severe loss they are now undergoing .
We very much mistake the character of the factory operatives if they can be either cajoled or coerced into the signing of such a petition . They are much better political economists than their employers , and are not to be duped by such specious fallacies . The late movement among them for a total cessation of labour , rather than submit to a reduction of wages , showed clearly to what causes they attributed former reductions . They know that it is because markets cannot be found fast enough for the goods they have formerly produced , that so many thousands of them have been so long unemployed , and that thousands more have been working short time ; and they have come to the conclusion that it would be
much better to work under such regulations as would spread the employment equally over the year , rather than work unreasonable hours at one period , with no other result than to speedily glut the m ? rkets , and be tl . rown idle at another . Of what advantage would it be to the operatives to have this clause repealed , and to accept eleven hours instead , as a final settlement of the question , as the millowners' petition states they will ? The additional six hours a week , we imagine , would add but very slenderly , indeed , to their wages , while it would greatly accelerate the glutting of the markets , and , consequently , hasten the time for shutting the mills again .
The question , after all , is one which does not rest upon random guess-work . By careful calculations , based upon facts , we may approximate pretty closely to the true number of hours for which it is profitable or justifiable to run the machinery . If Mr Cobden be right in some views he has recently expressed , there are neither markets nor cotton enough in . the world to enable us to work ten hours a-day all theyear round . If trade was , as it ought to
be , regulated with a view to preserve a proper proportion between supply and demand , the sudden variations , the tremendous panics , and tho frightful sufferings they create would be unkuown . The inevitable tendency of the " let alone" principles is to produce such calamitous results . The passing of the Ten Hours'Act was a step in a direction in which we shall have to advance further , if we wisli that trade should be placed upon a sound basis and carried on with general advantage to the community .
If the operatives were to aid , in the slightest degree , this movement , they would merely be playing into the hands of a few selfish and greedy speculators , who are in haste to get rich , and care not at what cost , too , they do so . They would unsettle that which it has taken many years to accomplish , and throw the factory hands again into the power of the masters , to be woiked or sent adrift as- suited their convenience . There ought to be no doubt as to the course which they will take . This movement of the associated millowners demands an immediate
counter movement from the Short Time Committees throughout the country . Parliament ought to know what the opinions of the operatives really are upon the subject . If they have changed , let the fact be known . If , as we believe , they have not changed , but still retain as earnestly and as firmly as ever , those views which years of toil and sad experience have deeply implanted in their minds , then they owe it to themselves to undeceive the Legislature , and prevent it from being imposed upon by any false { representation as to their
opinions . It is but reasonable to ask that an Act , which was carried by large majorities after unexampled discussion and agitation , shall at least have a fair trial . If , after that fair trial , it is found to be injurious , let it be repealed by all means—but we must insist upon that repeal being based upon actual experience of its evil consequences , instead of thecvafty anticipatory suggestions of the Millowners' Asssociation .
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NATIONAL DEFENCES . This question lias recently excited general interest , in consequence of an alarm on the subject originally sounded by the Morning Chronicle . The writer , under the signature of u P . ' professed , however , to give not his own views , but those of the Duke of Wellington ; and the Duke himself has this week confirmed the statement , by a letter , in which he states his opinions at considerable length , It appears that he has urged the matter upon the attention of several successive Governments , but without effect , and the appeal is now made for " that pressure from without /' which has become , in this country , the ' moving power'' of all Gevernments . Among the a merous article ? whieh have been elicited ,, the
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Earl of Ellesmeregcontributed . jone . S in . which he fully endorsed ; the viewajor the Duke , and drew a strong picturejof the military weakness of England . The grounds upon which the alarm is raised are certainly not at all of a visionary character . They resolve themselves into two " great facts . " ; The first is , that the application of Steam to War Vessels , and to Navigation generally , has utterl y destroyed the insular advantages which previously constituted the greatest safeguard of England , and for all practical purposes of warfara , have placed it nearly in the same position as a Continental country . The second is , that thpre is a strong disposition to take advantage ^ -, , , i 7 ii / , amaro ?/»/> Tit-. rihiitfifl ' onB . ? in which
of these means , at all events , in one nation j and that the great wealth , and comparatively defenceless position of Great Britain , offers a powerful temptation to all nations , to which the general feeling—excited by British policy —on the Continent , is not unlikely to act aa an auxiliary incitement . France is the quarter from which a war of aggression and an invasion is most imminent . However much the fact may be deplored , every grade of society in that country see ms to be animated by a deadly hatred to this country . Of course we do not
mean to say that there are not exceptions to this statement , but it impossible to glance at the literature of France— -at the speeches in its Halls of Legislation—at the orations delivered even at the banquets of the Reforming and Democratic party , without perceiving that this is the fact . The memory of the long war in which England , by a profuse expenditure of blood and treasure , put down the efforts of France for the right to choose its own forms of government , and its own rulers , has eaten like a cancer into the national mind : and the
crowning victory of Waterloo is alike hateful , for thrusting back upon France the branch of the Bourbons which it had expelled from power and for inflicting upon the amour pi'opre of a nation essentially military , a disgrace which it naturally longs for a fair opportunity of wiping off . It is only necessary to call to recollection Prince Joinville ' s celebrated pamphlet , written immediately after a tfisitto Queen Victoria , for the purpose of shewing how easy it would be with a fevr steamers , and a comparatively small body of trootts , to take possession of this
country- ^ md-feethe emphatic declaration of M . Ledru-Rollin , at > late Reform Banquet , as reported in this paper , " That there was yet . a Waterloo to avenge , " in order to perceive the nature of the general feeling of France towards England . How soon the circumstances may occur which will favour the open manifestation of that feeling , it is impossible to fix precisely . But the time cannot be distant . The death of Louis Philippe Jwill , in all probability , " cry
havoc , and Jet slip the dogs of war . " Come when that event may , it will almost inevitably lead to an internal struggle in France . The new dynasty is not so deeply rooted as to preclude all hope of its overthrow by the various parties inimical to it , and there is scarcely any measure which would create more general popularity for any party , or secure more ardent support , than the proposition to pay off some of the old debts of honour or revenge owing to " perfidious Albion . "
Were this attempted , in what position should we be in to repel such invasion ? The Duke of Wellington—and within the last few days his opinions have been endorsed by the Earl of EUesmere—says we should be utterly powerless . We have neither the requisite fortifications and defences for our coast—our great estuaries , nor our rich populous commercial towns . We have only a very few thousand regular troops at home , the great bulk of our standing army being scattered among our far extended colonies ; and our navy , though powerful , is altogether unequal to the task of maintaining a complete cordon round an island , almost every point of which is available for the landing of an invading army .
In the absence of these artificial defences and trained troops , what have we to fall back upon in the csse of invasion ? Nothing but " the courage and pluck of Englishmen . " But mere instinctive bravery is no match for armed and disciplined bodies of soldiers , acting in combination , under the orders of skilledcommanders . Lord Ellesmere , in short , considers the case so hopeless , that he says , " If the French were to appear at one end of London , the wisest movement that the Guards could make , would be to march out at the other . For the rest , three howitzers would be sufficient , and the Lord Mayor would soon be busy with the details of billets , and whatever contribution might be accepted as a commutation for indiscriminate plunder . "
Such , then , is the position to which , with reference to self-defence , the money-mongers , the stock jobbers , the manufacturers , and the shopkeepers—the whole tribe of Mammon worshippers—who , forthelast half century have ruled us , have reduced this country ! The "Old England , " whose " flag has braved a thousand years the battle and the breeze , " and whose historic annals include a series of victories , which stretch from Waterloo back through
centuries to Cressy and Agincourt , now trembles at the thought of 50 , 000 men landing on her own shores . The wealth which their whole souls have been absorbed in heaping up , and in the pursuit of which they have introduced a policy which has disarmed the masses , and all but emasculated them , now . lies the easy prey of the first bold and unscrupulous enemy who chooses to stretch forth his hand to take it . Never was retribution more signal !
Theexclusivenessof the aristocratical classes , and the selfishness of the middle classes , have both tended to one point . Neither of them dared to permit the masses , either to learn the use of arms , or to have them in their possession . They knew how they robbed them of their just rights , and under the influence of this " conscience which makes cowards of us all , " they systematically and gradually repressed whatever military feeling or aptitude existed © mong the people . The militia have not been Jcalled up for years , and with the exception of a few gamekeepers , sporting men , and poachers , there are but few men in England who know how to hold'or fire off a gun .
This is a state of things which is disgraceful to the parties who have brought it about , and ought to be immediately remedied . We do not mean to advocate unlimited armies or expensive fortifications . That an increase in the regular forces may be necessary , in the first in-Stance , we believe j that extensive additions ought to be made forthwith in our coast de fences , is certain ; but our main reliance , and it ought also to be the great strength of the government , is in the people themselves . The
best and surest defence of a nation will be found in giving its population an interest in defending it . If the legislature is wise , it will knock down at at once all the barriers which exclude the masses from a full participation in po litical power . They will then feel that they are , in reality , free men , not slaves In the land of their birth . The next thing to be done is , to give each man " a stake in the public hedge . " Let him have something to defend , and teach him how to defend it . One
hundred thousand small farmers , each having his homestead , and his three or four acres of land to protect , and able to bring a stalwart son or two to the struggle , if necessary , would be a more powerful and effective barrier against Invasion than twice the number of mere hirelings , however ably drilled and disciplined . If the agitation of the subject awaken the ruling classes to the dangerous and suicidal nature of their past policy , it will ; be a beneficial thing for all parties . Let them be assured
that the thinking working men of this country will not be induced to sacrifice themselves to prop up hereditary monopolies , or maintain the more galling and oppressive dominion of the traders , who coin their toil and sweat into gold , but leave them the mere offal as their reward . It matters little to whom they are slaves , —if slaves they are to remain . The only true , substantial , and permanent course that can be adopted with safet y to sill classes , 1 to enfranchise the whole people , and to
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direct the national resources as to give each father f of ; a family the power of providing an honest subs istence for it in his native Iand , and then , come from what quarter they might , the threats of invasion would ? ' pass by us as the idle wind which we respect not . " , dironf , the national rfiSOUrC 63 as tO fflVC C 8 CI 1
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. PUBLIC REVENUE . The Revenue Returns for the financial year and quarter , which were published on Thursday , show a very considerable falling off in amount . The decrease on the year as compared with 1846 , is 2 , 217 , 4541 . ; the decrease on the corresponding quarter 1 , 155 , 3132 ; the departments in which the greatest decrease has taken place are precisely those which are usually taken as an indication of the prosperous or adverse condition of the people—the Customs and the Excise . The decrease on the
year in the Customs is 295 , 567 / ., in the Excise 790 , 504 / ., considerably more than one half of the total decrease . Looking at the quarter , we find that nearly one half of the total decrease in the Excise has occurred during the last quarter . This shows that a great diminution of comforts and of necessaries must have taken place amongst the working , and the less wealthy of the middle classes , and that the commercial crisis has been gradually increasing its calamitous pressure upon the country . This state of the revenue will necessitate a
revision of our system of taxation at an early period of the Session . We trust that the principle of direct taxation upon property will be still farther extended . Jf Sir R . Peel was in office it would be certain , to be so ; but we much doubt whether Lord John and his wooden Chancellor have courage enough to venture upon such a course If they do not , but follow their old plan of resorting to temporary expedients to meet the urgencies of the moment , they will in due time find themselves in the same position as when they were driven from office in 1841 , by the general consent of the people , and the propertied classes will be subjected to a much more stringent measure than probably even Peel would propose at the present time .
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mSOILLAHKOUt . Thb Boi . lt of Fleet-strbst . —Mr Editor , for tho last eleven years I hare taken in the Weekly Dispatch , and . for the last five years I have regularly filed that paper and have them in my possaasion , but having lately read iheir wilful abusa of F . O'Connor , Esq ., M . P .. 1 have , from last Sunday , discontinued it . I have , for many years , read of the conduct of that gentleman , and have never heard or read anything derogatory to his character , and until he does something wrong I shall place implicit confidence in him ; I am now a subscriber , aa is also ono of my children , to the Land Company , and the money 1 hare been paying for tbe WaiKi . ? DiaPATCH Iahall pay towards another two acre share for my other daughter , and if , through any un . foreseen circumstances I should loae my money , I shall
not grumble , as I am thoroughly convinced F . 0 Conner's intentions are good , and , for the future , I shall be aconsUntreaderof the Kobthebn Stab , Tours , truly , W , Smith , broker , Ledbury , Hertfordshire . This is to certify that the above declaration is perfectly correct In all its detaia ! . Jambs F . McCobmace . Alex . Hi / ish , Sec . Ledbury . Colciiestbb . —We are compelled to exclude the ¦ Report ' aa its publication would cause ns to be inundated by similar communications from all parts of the country . We have already great difficulty in prorldinp space f » r the aceounta of meetings , &u . For such docomsnts as that sent from Colchesterit is impossible to find room . J . Dotle . —The time has gone by for any further notice of the subject of your letter . W . Haywood , —We have sent your letter to the director ! . We cannot ansiror queasions rrhich it is their business to answer . H . M . —Ha room .
Chartists or Gbdat Bbitair . —In a recent numbar of the Nonconfoemist we find the ex-reverend proprietor indulging in malignont sneering at Mr O'Connor , for opposing the Coercion Bill for Ireland . As this man has twice been acandidatofor parliament , and received on each occasion Chartist support , I think it behoves us to inquire on what ground we are to assist in the election of a man that would attempt to undervalue or depreciate Mr O'Connor . Reasoning by analogy , it is right to assume that the man who sneers at another for opposing any measure would support such a measure if it were in his power . Now let me aBb , what would your reflections be if this man had been in the house to have Bwe-lled the Ministerial majority ? Would his vote for the Charter , or separation of Church and State , have been accepted as a compensation for such ntrocity ? ] am ( sure that you are too humane a . ni disinterested to purchase support onBuch abominable
conditions . Therefore , on nil futnre occasions , let it be his distinguished privilege to shift for himself , so far as you are concerned . In another part of the same paper you will find an accouut of a lecture delivered in behalf of the new alliance , which was so powerfully spiced with scripture , that it fascinated the tender tripe of all men whose good fortune it was to bear the 'inspired messenger . ' Now , working men . if there is any one charecter more dangerous and contemptible than another , it is the canting mawworm who seeks to renew the union botween politics andreligion . by quoting scripture and interlarding his political statements with dogmas of a theological character . Beware of such men , and shun them . E . Uobertsoc , Plymouth . 8 HOBBDITCH . —The suggested alteration in the petition has been forwarded to the Directors . ' Stabs' von Ireland . —Henry Hargreaves strongly urges tha English Chartists to send copies of the Stag to
Ireland . Stabs addressed to Mr Samuel Kushton , 31 , Laneaster . street , York street , Belfast , wi'l be faithfully distributed . E . Robertson , Plymouth , has sent s reply t »< Pro PatriaV last letter , but we cannot see the utility of con . tinuini ? the discussion . We give the following extracts from Mr R . 's letter :-In reply to « Pro Patria , ' I beg to state that I have no objection to the exercise of the privilege which ' to the injured doth beloug * of giving offences : but ho has not answered my question as to the naturo of the offences that are to be forgiven by virtue of a general law , further than by allusion to Messrs O'Connor and M'Douall How was Cooper ' s behaviour relished when he charged Mr O'Connor with , embezzling the fund of the Land Company to support the Nobthebv Stab ! Did not resolutions pass in every locality , testifying , ia very strong language , the iridtenatlon felt at his conduct % I was
present at the Convention , and voted for his expulsion , in conjunction with the other delegates , as there was no law in existence by virtue of which he was to give offence unscathed ; and , therefore , you will perceive that I signally failed in exercising the privilege which 'to the injured doth belong * of forgiving Cooper for the parr ho acted . Whoa I stated that Chartists had nothing to do with private character in their political capacity , I moant thereby to deny their right of sitting in judgment upon their fellow-men for any other than political offences With respect to the political movement here , I regret to state that it is not in my power to effect any benefioial result at present , as tha golden keys are in tho keeping of a few , who expelled me ss an enemy to democracy in the latter end oj August last ; consequently , with the exception of Mr Weit's visit , I have taken no part in the political movement since
, nor shall I ( with the exception of attending public meetings , no matter bjwhom convened ) do more than battle the cemmon enemy as often as a chance offers .-E . KoBEBisotf . —Plymouth , Jan . 3 rd , 1848 . Mr C . Connor , Ludlow . —Your six shillings was sent to the Land Company ' s Office , a » soon as possible after being received at the ^ STAB Office . $ S"I huveto request that persons will retrain from sending monies to me for purposes not connected with the Northeun Stab . W . Rideu . J , Garnstt . — Yes , if a' moderate' report was sent ia good time . C . SPBiNfiiuj . i ,. —The paper can be sent , but each paper will cost 3 d . postage . T . Gin , Woketield . —Ileceived . Shall be attended to . Thb IUth or January . — Members of the Land Company are hereby reminded , that all levies must be paid on or before tne loth inst ., to entitle them to have their names placed in the ballot box , at the balloting on the 17 th inst .
D . P ., Glasgow . —A shilling a year is the required subscription . Members m . iy give more if they think proyor . Address to Julian Harney , Nobthebn Star Office . Dobbau . —Members who have paid up the full price of their shores are liable for both local and general levies . WiLiiiAK Hhtchins . —The money ( query ) has been reccived and credited to your branch , you must see the sanretnry of your branch , and inform him thatyou have paid the money . Mr SrAi , Leicester . —Tour London Agent ought to supply the ' specimen . Ths hklfabt Man . —Several of our Chartist friends wish to know the price of the volume of poems , by Francis DaviB , reviewed in our last . P . W ., Printer . — In reply to his communication , Mr OVonnor is perfectly aware that one of the viruleut opponents of tho Land Plan is a notorious Sodomite . TT ; KHoDts . —Members who haro been fortunate in tho ballot , must , of c-oune , pay all general andiocal levies . Indeed , they , above others , are bound to pay them . Members who have paid more than the sum required for expenses , must be allowed to remain upoa ' the books of the Company , until tha expanses amount to the whole Bum paid , when they will ceaae to have any claim . Ohb of the Mob . —The amount of subscription to entitle to one year's raemborriiip in the National Charter Association ie four shillings and twopence . Ths money to bo sent to Mr 0 . Doyle , at the office of the National Land Company , from whom cepiea of the National Petition can b < had . Michael Wa «» . —We believe Ibat Arthur O'Connor was arrested at Sheerness ; ho was tried at Maidstone . A Quauk QnssTiox .-We commend the following to the consideration of the friunds of discussion who may bo hard-up for a subject on which to try tbeir debating powers : —
¦ B * clf . ord , Notts . « Sir , —Having received a Christmas gift , we wish to know if the laws of equality would make any difference in the distribution of the gift between men and boys , or between superiority of labour ? ' Wo are , truly yours , ' RAM 08 I ) CJUJTI 8 M , Gbotise Hhjei , BatloT Carr . —Befor * I answer your caso you must inform me if the machine by which jour son was injured is one which is required by law to bs fenced or guarded ; whether your son , when he was injured , was employed about his usual and proier business ; whether boy b of fourteen are commonly employed where » ueh a machine is used as that by which jour » on was injured ; and If your son ' s injury was to be fifcrioed to any special . or unuaual cause orelroUm stance
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'¦ ' " 1111 11111 , 11 ^ 111 ^ LEGAL . ^^» IfOXICJB . — As I bars a considerable number Of cai e « hand , requiriBf ulterior proceedings , I thUtt ° order to enable me to do justice to my clients , decl ' in ™ receiving until farther notice nny mora l » gai Corre e pondence ( exoept tuch at relates to cans <„ ^ j . whether for tbe Stab or othernlie . ' ALL LETTERS CONTAINING NEW Cases WILL REMAIN UNNOTICED . ° * &F LKTTEBB TO BK AOBBE 88 ED IS PCTDBE TO MB AT 16 , GBBA * WlNDMIU .. mstl , HaIMABSij Even should fresh cases be accompanied by fees ' they will not be attended to . ' Io «» ow . Ebkzst Johib , h . Howahth , Blackburn . —In order that I mav set through your cats ; and nome hundreds of othirs in which some progress has already been made you will ^^ ^ - _„_ , i . n ,. , ,., u . ni , i .. ~ . i > .
, see from tlm week b Stab , that I have come to the de . termination to attend to no fresh cases . Wm Hqvquton , Blscktwra , —I must gives similar renlv to your last lefer with that which I have given to your neighbour , Wm Howartb , ' W . 6 . R ., Leadgate . —Give me the name and addreu of the mortgagee , and I will write to him . I do not know however , that I can do any good unless I see a copv of your grandfather's will . Samuel Smith , —I hope to be able to give my further at . tention to J . Kibley ' s case before long , See what I bars said above , under the head' Wm . Howarth . ' E . M . Coventry . —To nullify the marriage you must pro . ceed in the Ecclesiastical Court ; but , to set it aside , there must be clear proof of the insanity , and the proceedimrs would bo Kpensire . If I iaw the rironh 1
which you could bringforward , I should bs better able to judge of your chance of auccesg . Chablotte , Manchester . - The mother of the illegitimate child must affiliate It ; and should the father put her upon proof of his being the father , she must be prepared with evidence to shew that he has admitted that it ia his child ; evidence that the child was placed under the care of his ( the father ' s ) mother , and that he contributed to its support , would , I think , be sufficient proof of his having admitted himself to be the father ; but if any further evidence can be adduced , it may be as well to bring it forward . J . CHANSEZ . EI , Bridgetown , Glasgow . —As you have got a copy of Charles Connor ' will , send me a copy of snch copy , and give me the address of tho exacutor , and I
will see what I can do for you ; but , should I succeed , I should ba ashamed of myself If I were capable of taking any such fee as you offer me : one tenth part of the Bum you offer would be quite as much as I should think of . —— . —A long letter ( with neither name of place or per . son ) abtmt the enclosure of a common ; about the opinions of Counsellor ! Chitty and Clarke ; about something that Lord Denraan had said ; about Mr Harriott , and about George Strutt , and various other perions and things ; but in every particular so unintelligibly stated , that I ara quite at a loss to understand it . If the writer will send copies oi the cases laid before Counsellors Chitty and Clarke , and of their opibieni I shall moat likely see what tbe case it about , and will ad . vise upon it .
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Mrsrsmous Dbaih . —An inquest war beld before Mr Bedford , at the Bedford Head , Maiden-lene , Cogent-garden , on the body of M ? William Uancoek , aged cixty-sevea , newsvender , &o . The deceased carried on business at 14 . Maiden-lane . In Oct ., 1846 , a cataract formed in both his eyes , for which he bad since been under medical treatment . His affliction preyod upon bis mind , and in September last ha attempted" suicide by jumping off a Graveiend steamer into the river . On Wednesday morning , the 29 th ult ., his wife , on waking , discovered deceased tying across tbe bed with his head hanging ov « r the aide and a deep wound in his throat . Mr
Thompson , surgeon , of Tavistock-atreet , was sent for , and sewed up the wound , and deceased seemed to ba wceverifig . On Sunday evening he became much excited , tha wound gaped open again , and Mr Thompson was fetched , but he died shortly afterwards . The wound had been inflicted with a table knife . Mr Thompson not undertaking to say that the wound ( which had escaped the large vessels ) was ( he cause oi' death , which might have ensued from gome internal disease , the coroner thought it important that the memory of deceased should not ba branded with the crime of self-murder , and adjourned the inquiry for the purpose of » po $ i mortem examination of tbe body .
. CosznxiOJi of ihe Woreihg Cwsses . —In Roch * dale and Middleton unemployed factory hands may till be seen strolling about the streets begging , but there is a prospect of some of the factories that have been standing being set to work , Last week , tho machinery in the two factories occupied by Messrs . James Frockter and Sons , who lately stopped payment , has been sold , and the purchasers , it is said , are going to commence working the concern . The theatre was opened last week , but out of fire nightg , for which performances were adrertfaed , there were only three on which the actors appeared . On the others , the few persons that attended had their money returned to thenii » a it was useless acting to empty benches . This arises entirely from stagnation in trade . When times are good , the Rochdale theatre is almost supported by gal * ) ery attenders , but short time and bad trade hare crippled the means of both .
Stokbsibt . —About one hundred printers , machine-men , binders , stitchers , and folders , em « played at Mr Pratt ' a wholesale printing establishment , partook of tea on the 31 st ultimo , provided by Mrs Pearaon , the White Swan Inn . The erening was spent to the satisfaction of nil . Serious Accident at the Euston-squarh Staiiok op thb North- Wkssebm Railway Compant . —On Thursday morning , at about half-past ten o ' clock , an agcidenfc , which might have be 6 & attended with very serious consequences , occurred at the North-Western Railway Station , Euaton Square . For some tima past , there have been erecting at the station
extenaiva ranges of new buildings for the use of the company , These buildings are being erected by the Messrs Gubitt , and are now approaching their completion . This morning suddenly the whole ef the side wall of the newly-erected vestibule , which is nearly completed , gave way , and fell with a terrific crash , burying in the ruins eleven persons ( men and boys ) who were employed in its erection . Assistance was immediately procured , and the unfertunatesufferers having been extricated from the ruins , were at once conveyed to the hospital . Three of them were injured so slightly as to be able at once to proceed to their homes , the remainder were takeu into the hospital , and one of the unfortunate persons is since dead *
A deaf and dumb man is now the foreman of ft printing office at Cork . The island of Barbadoes is so densely populated that it contains a population of 731 inhabitants to tbe square mile . The first loiree of the Glasgow AtheDSum wai held on Tuesday last , and the chair was taken on the occasion by Mr Charles Dickens . Directions have been issued by the customs' authorities to admit all parcels of wild nutmegs , out of the shell , » t thedmjofSd , per jb ,
The CoT ! BNBAU ~ FiRK . — The man who set fire to Mr Mayle ' s premises haa made an ample confeeeion of his guilt . On Sunday night last , James Hayes , a native of Grantchester , who , up to the Saturday preceding the firo , had been in Mr Mayle ' s employ , called upon him and stated that he set fire to the premises , but that he had no particular motive in so doing , nor did he bear any ill-will to his master of whom and whoBe kindness he speaks in the highest terms . Hayes was examined on Monday , and fully committed for trial at the assizes .
£ A public meeting of the City women ' s men will be held at the Bull and Bell , Ropemaker-street , Finibury , on Monday evening , January l ? th . The Stepney shoemakers will meet at the Globe and Friends , Commercial-road Eaat , on Tuesday evening , January 18 th .
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NOTICE TO DEPOSITORS . NATIONAL LANlT AND LABOUR BANK . 493 , New Oxford Stkebt , London , 24 th December , 1847 .
"WITHDRAWALS FROM BANK . The period of pressure in the Money Market having now passed , during which parties having funds in the Deposit Department of the National Laud and Labour Bank were allowed to withdraw money to any amount , on demand , it is found necessary , both for the better security of Depositors , and for the convenience of the Bank , to re-establish the principle of Notice tor withdrawals over a certaia
amount , and the following is the rule established for all Deposits to be received after the date hereof . The aatne rule applies to all Deposits made since the 2 nd October Jaat , when the rules were temporarily suspended , except where the Depositors may object , in which case they are required to withdraw their funds before the 20 th January next—failing which , they will be held to have acceded to the rules .
Suraa not exceeding £ 10 . may be withdrawn on demand ; Over £ 10 ., and not exceeding £ 20 ., seven day& ' notice required ; Over £ 20 ., and not exceeding £ 50 . > fourteen days ' notice required ; Exceeding j £ 50 ., one month's notice required . The notice te be computed from the date of the receipt of such notice at the Bank Office ia London , and the money will be paid or remitted oa the 8 th , 15 th , and 29 th days respectively from such date . A copy of this notice will be sent to each persoa kaving made any deposit since 2 nd October last ,. at his or her last address , during the ensuing week . Persons not having received printed certificates for funds paid ia before 1 st November , 1847 , are K « quested to apply for them forthwith . By order of the Proprietor , Thomas Price , Manager .
The Northern Star , Saturday , January 8, 1848.
THE NORTHERN STAR , SATURDAY , JANUARY 8 , 1848 .
Co ££Auerg & Comsuonmn Is.
Co ££ auerg & Comsuonmn is .
• Ciotae It In Words.'—Sheekx. Letters Addressed To The Workind Men Of England Associated In Trade Tjn1ons, On The Necessity Of A Change.
• Ciotae It in Words . '—Sheekx . LETTERS ADDRESSED TO THE WORKINd MEN OF ENGLAND ASSOCIATED IN TRADE TJN 1 ONS , ON THE NECESSITY OF A CHANGE .
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' ¦¦¦¦ TH ^ oRTiw stai ; , - ¦ ¦; ¦ ¦; - — - - — m " " ' liiJJ '" - ¦ — . Mr-nil ¦¦¦¦ —^^ "
Ecgb.Nb Sue's New Tale..
ECGB . NB SUE'S NEW TALE ..
-R=^___^__—M^^J^-^^ Zn"" ". Ju5t Fcblishel I (Uiiforta With The " Laiobrks" Il3gaiina,) Price 6d.
-r = ^___^__—m ^^ j ^ - ^^ Zn "" " . JU 5 T FCBLISHEl i ( Uiiforta with the " Laiobrks" il 3 gaiina , ) Price 6 d .
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Citation
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Northern Star (1837-1852), Jan. 8, 1848, page 4, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/ns/issues/vm2-ncseproduct1452/page/4/
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