they point. You will see, indeed, that all my long-entertained suspicions were but too well founded. I never doubted the good wishes of Lord GREY; but always doubted his power to give effect to those wishes. The non-dismissal of the LORDS-LIEUTENANT was quite proof enough of this. But pray read the following articles, and think that you hear Lord GREY utter the words.

From the Chronicle and Times of 9th November.

"manry cavalry, through the streets to of sense, and many of you men of in"Newton Bushell (a town about four-fluence; and you may now do much in teen miles from Exeter), an express preserving the peace of the country. I "having arrived that the whole town was am acquainted with no man who is in " in flames. This I am not surprised at, any way connected with the Govern" as it is the veriest sink of Toryism in ment; but the editors of the MORNING "the county. No doubt they have set CHRONICLE and of the TIMES have "the town on fire to divert the public communications with such persons: ❝ attention from reform. Such is their I KNOW that they have; and, there"chagrin at their fallen littleness, that fore, I pay just as much attention to they would, like their mad fool-hardy the following two articles, as if the "leader, Sir Charles Wetherell, sacri- words had been uttered to me by Lord "fice the lives of thousands of their GREY himself! Read, then, with at"fellow-creatures to effect their hellish tention; pause on every sentence; you purpose, by throwing the county will clearly see to what and to whom "into anarchy and confusion. New ton Bushell is a town composed * of houses which are principally cover"ed with thatch, and nothing can save "it if set fire to in two or three places; "it is here the Tories have lately "had their meetings and dinners, for "they are completely driven out of this "city; and their numbers have so "dwindled, that they would be lost in "a respectable-sized room; they have breathed their last gasp,, and their writhing will avail them nothing"their factious spirit must expire, and We have always been slow to believe "like an eel out of water, will even the reports of conversions of bishops "tually smother itself ini ts own slime." "MONDAY, EIGHT O'CLOCK.-An expeers, knowing the strong aversion “press has just arrived, stating that the that these men must have to all mea"hre was extinguished before the ar-sures founded on equal-handed justice "rival of the military, and was supposed and more especially to that crowning "to have taken place from a chimney measure, a reform of the representation. "having taken fire, the flakes from All coaxing-all attempts at persuasion "which fell on the thatch. The damage must be thrown away in such a case. " done does not exceed 100l. An unnecessary alarm existed in this case." The request to BARNARDINE to come down to be hanged, was not more unpalatable than to boroughmongers and bishops (one and the same), must be the application to consent to a really efficient bill of reform. We know that it is the interest of these men to affect a disposition towards conversion, because it throws their opponents off their guard, and what they want is delay. It is only in hell that the great poet excludes the entrance of hope. The antireformers feed themselves with hopes of re-actions--hopes of deaths-hopes

THE ALARM.

TO THE READERS OF THE REGISTER.
Bolt-Court, Thursday Morning, 10th Nov. 1831.
MY FRIENDS,

I BESEECH you pay attention, first to some articles that I am about to take

from the MORNING CHRONICLE and the TIMES, and then to the proceedings of the Council of the Political Union of Birmingham, in a meeting held on Monday last. You are all men

and

of riots and insurrections, which might" Earl GREY, 'on the adjustment of the inspire alarm into men possessed of "House of Peers." "

property. We ourselves are not with- An efficient Parliamentary reform out alarm, on account of the distress must necessarily lead to economy in caused by the stagnation of trade in church and state, and of this the bishops many parts of the country. In the ma- and boroughmongers are well aware. nufacturing districts, there are at present To a reform which will be attended numbers of men out of work and suffer- with such results they will never, we ing severely; and till the Reform Bill fear, consent, except under circumis carried, no improvement is to be stances which they hope may never hoped for. The anti-reformers hope occur.

In the meantime, the vote of the bishops has at once and for ever alienated from them the regard of the nation. It is one striking sign of the times, that

last the bishops were substituted for GUY FAWKES. North and South, East and West, speak but one language with regard to them.

These are the sentiments that now

to profit by the calamities of which they are the authors, by the rejection of the Reform Bill. The Times, we observe, shares our suspicions with regard to the alleged conversions of the anti-re- everywhere on the 5th of November formers. "That the peers have not (says our contemporary) usefully reconsidered their opinions on the Re"form Bill, so as to insure a reception "for that measure more palatable to "the nation than the last, has within pervade the country. Reform must "these few days become a matter of ULTIMATELY be carried; of THAT "widely-diffused suspicion! No proof, we have no doubt. But we dread the indeed, of the contrary has yet been collision of an angry people, and the "adduced, nor any facts which carry selfish enemies of the people; and we "much weight or authority on the face are suspicious of the alleged conversions *of them. If, therefore, Ministers, of enemies to friends. This we KNOW, once already deceived and dissap- that if the people DO NOT BESTIR "pointed,—once already instrumental, THEMSELVES in such a manner as no doubt innocently, in the heavy to extinguish all hope in the borough"dssappointment of the nation,-if they mongers of the possibility of resisting "have not more materials for confi- reform, the country may have to wade "dence in the self-reformation of the through blood to the attainment of that "House of Lords than have yet reached blessing. We know that the borough"the public eye, and still do not lend mongers are CAPABLE OF ALL "themselves with instant vigour to a WICKEDNESS! "re-adjustment' of the peers, the "concluding passage of the following

extract may be found to express a

feeling by no means confined to the author, who begins with some caustic, "though grave, reflections on the "bishops, and on the Scotch and Irish

From the Chronicle of the 10th of
November.

Meetings continue to be held throughout the country. That of the county of Warwick, which took place on Tuesday, affords a striking evidence of the peers. (Here our contemporary in-zeal and spirit of the reformers in that "troduces a long quotation from a part of England. The requisition for a pamphlet, in the shape of a letter to meeting of the county of Norfolk is

signed by a strong array of nobles and rich commoners, and individuals of influence and character. These are not surely symptoms of re-action.

no

414

be cut down in detail, the energy of the people would be damped; they would argue from these numerous failures of petty bodies to the failure of all atThe anti-reformers, we know, are tempts, and the cause of reform must beginning to hold their heads as high fall to the ground; the boroughmongers as ever; and though there are would triumph, and the venerable Earl symptoms of any alteration of opinion GREY himself, whose life had been deon the part of the people, but, on the voted to reform, might be brought to contrary, every where evidence of a more punishment for his patriotic efforts." earnest determination to obtain an effi- It is proper that we should, at this cient reform; yet, SOMEHOW OR important crisis, be prepared for the OTHER, a belief is gaining ground worst. We have never doubted the that the path of Ministers is beset with honesty of Ministers, but we have algreater difficulties than they calculated ways doubted their power to perform on. That belief has travelled much impossibilities; we have always doubted farther than the metropolis. At the their power to convert bishops into remeeting of the Birmingham Council, formers, and boroughmongering peers, held on Monday last, of which a report interested in the present system of pilwill be found in another column, Mr. lage of the people, into partisans of an Attwood observed, "he did not hesitate economical government. We never to say that the bill was in danger. It under-rated the task of Ministers; on had been rejected by the House of the contrary, we have always been inLords, and he feared it would be rejected clined to suppose that some of the again. But there were other circum- Ministry over-rated their own means of stances which he could not but consider. management. It requires no great art It was possible--he did not think it was to persuade a man to fill his pocket at probable but it was possible—that our the expense of others; but a man must good and patriotic King may be in- be more than a conjurer,; who can perduced, by the wiles of those who sur-suade another who can take what he round him, to withdraw his support from pleases from the pockets of others, to the bill. It was possible that the ma- forego that power. If Ministers can chinations of our powerful enemies may defeat the Ministers, and compel them to resign. And if (said Mr. A.) the King, army, and navy, are transferred to the power of the boroughmongers, why, then, I could not but feel the peculiar danger of my situation." It is obvious, from these remarks, that Mr. Attwood is suspicious. The advice he gave the members of the Union was important. "If the enemy (said he) could send spies to excite the people to rise in petty, unorganised, undirected. bodies, in order that these bodies might

have a majority without the bishops, the bishops may be reformers against their will; but if the majority is to be made by the bishops, they will play the old trick over again.

Mr. ATTWOOD says, "If the borough, mongers should throw out the bill a second time, they will destroy Lord GREY, unless the people save him. Let them adhere to the law, to the throne, and the Government, and put their trust in them until they deceive them. When they have deceived us-but deceive us they scarcely can-we must

have a care lest they destroy us. The proposed organisation will enable us to do this with effect, and therefore it was very important that this should be done whilst the present Ministry are in power. .. The council

Proceedings of the Council of the Birmingham Union, on Monday, the 7th Nov. 1831.

In consequence of the Warwick Meeting being held on Tuesday, the Council met on Monday. The meeting, as

:

will be placed in dangerous circumstances usual, was most numerously attended. if the boroughmongers should again At West Bromwich, a very populous triumph. Therefore he called upon the district, a new Union was formed on Union to take such steps as would ena- Monday last spirited resolutions were ble them, if efforts were made to oppose passed, and "the old women in black the King or punish his Ministers, to aprons" were spoken of in terms by no arrest the hand of the destroyer, and means creditable to them. The feeling vindicate the rights of Englishmen, the against the bishops runs very high in happiness of their homes, and the prin- this neighbourhood; on the 5th of Nociples of law." vember they quite supplanted Guy Several plans of arming were sub-Fawkes. At the last meeting of the mitted to the Council, and referred to a Council a letter from Liverpool was Committee, which is to report on Tues-read by Mr. Pare, requesting all informday next. Mr. ATTWOOD urged expedi-ation which would assist certain patriotic tion, as a week, he said, was important. individuals there in forming a Union..

"Birmingham, 7th Nov. 1831.

We warn Englishmen not to allow It was stated that many of the leading themselves to suppose THAT THEY men of Liverpool are anxious to see the CAN NOW REMAIN PASSIVE. A project carried into effect. Another time is coming when danger can alone anonymous donation of 50l. was re-、 be averted by showing that they are ceived. It was conveyed to the Secreprepared to face it. Ministers have tary in the following letter much at stake; but we all of us have much at stake; for should WELLINGTON "6 Sir,-Having narrowly watched the proand the boroughmongers return to from its commencement, I cannot help exceedings of the Birmingham Political Union power, they would endeavour to stifle pressing my unqualified approbation of its the desire for reform by an exercise of in its favour to that of the country generally. patriotic conduct, and adding my testimony authority which would involve numbers Let your Council continue to pursue the same in great distress. They would not ulti-glorious path which they have hitherto chalked out for themselves, and let their mately succeed; but in the meantime future proceedings be guided by the prudence, many a worthy man would be sacrificed. hitherto distinguished their proceedings, and wisdom, and determination which have Let us now show a bold front. He who is not with us now is against us. Nothing but firmness and a determination on the part of the people not to be trodden down, will enable them to suc

ceed. Through the first opening given by timidity or faint-heartedness, the boroughmongers will pass.

am convinced the salvation of our dear country will ultimately crown their efforts. Being fully aware how essential pecuniary assistance must be to enable you to carry on the great work you have undertaken, I beg your acceptance of the enclosed donation of 50%. in furtherance of the great cause of Par~· liamentary Reform.—I am, Sir,

"AN ARDENT FRIEND AND ADMIRER OF THE BIRMINGHAM POLITICAL UNION.

"To Mr. B. Hadley, Hon. Secretary of the Birmingham Political Union.

Our

must be lost; for, if he seeks not revolution, he will forbid us to attempt the triumph of our cause by arms, and we

This letter was received with loud bill contemplates a reform which bids cheers, and a vote of thanks to the pa- fair to lead to an adequate reform of all triotic donor was immediately carried. abuses; that bill, supported as it is, The testimony of the donor is as im- must be carried; and if, when carried, portant as his donation is liberal. The it answers not the end proposed, the general business of the meeting was power of the people is seven times inunusually interesting. The conduct of creased to effect what is wanting. Here, the Lancashire reformers was noticed. then, is a measure of peace, insuring The Council condemned the proceed- a speedy and bloodless revolution. ings of Mr. Hunt in the most unqualified But Mr. Hunt's proposal, if acted upon,. manner. He called the Reform Bill and if attempted to be carried by "humbug" and "poison," and yet he had force, brings the people into an immevoted for that humbugging, poisonous diate civil war with the boroughmonmeasure. The Lancashire men should gers; many of the present friends of first rest satisfied with obtaining the the people may forsake them-blood bill as it now stands. If it did not pro- will flow, and all the horrors of the duce the desired effects, they might first French Revolution will be renewed. then call for additional concessions; and If Mr. Hunt declares that he seeks not they would be enabled, by the provisions revolution, he seeks to confirm of Lord John Russell's Bill, to call for slavery by proposing a measure which such additions with sevenfold greater force than they at present possess. Mr. EDMONDS denounced Mr. Hunt as the advocate of either revolution, or of must quietly resign ourselves to our confirmed slavery to the boroughmon-fate. The Lancashire men will, gers. Ile was aiming at an impractica-fore, do well to reflect, that Mr. Hunt's ble measure. Was it likely that the proposal undoubtedly involves either peers would consent to a measure in-slavery or revolution, whilst the bill and cluding annual parliaments, vote by the Unions advocate a measure which ballot, and universal suffrage, when they must ultimately secure liberty, and comwould not concede a much more modi-plete the restoration of every happiness, fed measure? Does Mr. Hunt, then, without making wives widows, and mean to excite the people to fight for children orphans. the measure he proposes? If such be his determination, it was strangely inconsistent in him to urge Government to prosecute Mr. Edmonds merely for calling upon the people not to pay taxes, if the enemies of the present bill came into power? If he himself contemplates acts of ultra violence, why condemn a much more moderate and equally efficient measure of resistance, when proposed by Mr. Edmonds? The question is this-a reform, a full and adequate reform, is to be obtained. The

there

The above we consider the sentiments of the council respecting Mr. Hunt and the men of Lancashire; if, indeed, the feelings of the men of Lancashire are such as are proclaimed at the late comparatively small meetings at which Mr. Hunt was present.

Mr. CHARLES JONES, a very influential man in Birmingham, then brought forward his plan for the organisation of the members of the Union, upon the principle and for the objects which, in a former paper we elucidated. He had