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men, purely because they are Christi- France some of the greatest geniuses the "ans, let the persons accused he dis-world has produced, were united hand in charged, although they be found to be hand for fifty years, for the purpose of "Christians, and let the informer himself enlightening their fellow creatures. "undergo the punishment." When shall is a great pity the enemies of superstiwe see an Antonius? Yet the Apology tion, tyranny, and priestcraft are not which produced this, contains passages better known to each other; and more which no one would, in this enlightened, organized in their exertions. Look at the humane, and liberal age, dare to advance. Fanatics of every description; how they In the second section, of his second Apo- unite, and how successful they are in logy, he says, "Reason informs and ad- stultifying the human understanding, that monishes us, that true philosophers and most glorious ornament with which Na"men of virtue, who have been filled TURE has vouchsafed to embellish man? "with godliness and holiness, have Would not a general medium of commu"loved and honoured the simple truth, nication for Theology, Metaphysics, and and have turned aside from following Moral Philosophy, to be open with im"the ancients, whenever their opinions partiality to the Churchman, the Dissenthave been found erroneous, or bad. er, the Disciple of NATURE, the follow"Both scripture and sound reason enjoiners of Pyrrho, and every class of Latius, not only to avoid those whose lives "have been wicked; who by teaching, argument, or other means, have dis"seminated false and impious doctrines; "not to imitate, nor in any respect to be "led by them; but also prescribe, that "the inquisitive lover of truth should "prefer it to his life, and should not be deterred by the fear of death, or threats "of torture, from speaking and acting "according to justice."

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These noble sentiments may be used by every reformer; they were appropriate to those who suffered in Smithfield, to Galileo, Huss, and Jerome of Prague; they may be used with equal propriety by the Deists of the present day, and by all persons persecuted for what they believe to be true. Those of my Friends who will take the trouble, will find much learning, philosophy, and curious matter in the works of this Father. I am writ ing a treatise upon the model of the Apologies of Justin Martyr and Tertullian, to be entitled, (if God spare my life, and that of the best of Princes, till he shall ascend the throne of these realms) "An Apology to King George the Fourth, "in behalf of that most learned and "respectable portion of his subjects, the Materialists, Sceptics, and Deists; by "aCHRISTIAN:" and intend approaching him in person with a holy boldness, to deliver a copy thereof. Every thing which has been done towards liberalising mankind in this country, will be found the isolated efforts of individuals; but in

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tudinarian, be the means of facilitating such an object? It would lead people to think, examine, and judge for themselves; and ultimately inculcate a liberality of sentiment, which can only be acquired by the exercise of our reason concerning the nature of man, his intellectual faculties, and education. It would enable them to make that generous allowance for the opinions and prejudices of others, so essentially necessary to the harmony of society; but which they can never possess, while their reading and observation are confined within the pale of a particular sect; and while they are in the habit of implicitly receiving their religious notions, upon thecredit of others, without investigation. A Journal of the above description has long been a desideratum in the republic of letters; for notwithstanding the number and variety of theological and controversial magazines, there are none completely open to all partics; whatever liberality they may profess. Some are exclusively the vehicles of one set of opinions only, and refuse insertion to every thing of an opposite tendency. Others admit nothing contrary to their own tenets, but what they think can easily be answered by some of their own partizans. I have taken the liberty of throwing out these few hints, as to the nature of a Journal muck wanted by the Friends of Free Discussion; and remain, dear Sir, your's truly.

ERASMUS PERKINS. London, Jan. 18, 1815.

Printed and Published by G. HOUSTON: No. 192, Strand; where all Communications addressed to the
Editor are requested to be forwarded.

COBBETT'S WEEKLY
WEEKLY POLITICAL REGISTER.

VOL. XXVII. NO. 4.]

LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 28, 1815.

[Price 1s,

97]

PARTIAL AND MEAN PERRY, Proprietor of the Morning Chronicle. READER, a full report of the proceedings of the Hampshire meeting was sent to the above Printer, together with the PETITION, which I moved thereat, and which petition (the only copy I had) was obtained from me, by the Reporter of the Chronicle, in order to be sent to London to be printed in that and other papers. It was so sent: but was suppressed by this partial, this mean, this despicable tool of- Janicable place-hunting faction. --I have just

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give this trick of PERRY the exposure,

which it deserves.

WM. COBBETT.

Botley, Thursday Evening,

N.B. Mr. HUNT said, at the time, that this worthy "member of the Hampden "Club," would play us is trick. I could not believe it. Mr. HUNT knew the man better than I did,

PROPERTY TAX,

THIS poor tax is now become as much the object of senseless abuse as were, 1798, those who endeavoured to pre vent it from being imposed. In 1812 an unfortunate man, named CARTER, was imprisoned in jaol, for a year, and fined, for having published a paragraph complaining of the operation of this tax. My Lord Folkestone, who made a moLion upon this subject, described the paragraph as being moderate and inoffensive. Yet, for republishing the same paragraph,

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Mr. Lovell of the Statesman was imprisoned a year or 18 months in Newgate, and also fined.--The selfish and unfeeling crowds, who are now clamouring against this tax; who are abusing it; who are applying to it all sorts of vile epithets and names, because they now feel the pinch of their pockets; these persons never meet to petition against the prosecutions of the press; no, and they never would have met for that purpose, if every press in England had been demolished and the types thrown into the street, as were those of the American command of our military and naval printers at the City of Washington, by commanders.-These persons now call the tax partial, oppressive, cruel, inquisitorial, tyrannical. They compare it to every thing on earth that is odious, and some o. them have gone to Hell for similies in the way of illustration, They declared, that it is every thing that is tyrannical, odious and detestable, and that it violates the spirit of our constitution; and all this in its PRINCIPLE; in its very NATURE; and ESSENCE. Now, then, what are these men? What are these noisy petitioners? What is their character, even upon their own shewing? Why, that they are now calumniators of the government; or, that they have been slaves for the last 18 years. Let them take their choice.It is curious enough to see men, and great numbers of them too, who supported this tax when it was laid on, who voted for it in parliament, who, in fact, laid it on; it is curious to see these men, and in great numbers too, now coming forward and joining in the above horrid descriptions of the tax. They seem to be looking to new scenes, They are ratting from the Government, They begin to suspect, that the taxing and soldiering system must soon undergo a very material change. In short, the sys tem (for it is of no consequence who are ministers) is in a state of great anxiety, at least. The peace has produced the ef

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OR

OR

The dividends on the Natial Debt must go unpaid.

Take your choice, good petitioners. One of the five propositions you must take. I am for the fourth. What say you? What sense is there in your clamours and abuse, unless you think that the war taxes can be dispensed with ; and if you think they can be dispensed with, why do you not say so? One thing, however, in this senseless uproar, I am highly delighted with. It is this: That there are no longer any accusations heard. against us Jacobins. It is not we, but "the loyal," who now cry out, who clamour, who now deal out abuse on the taxing system. Mr. HARDY, who escaped with his life, after endeavouring to

fects, thus far, that I anticipated; and those effects will now develope them- The whole of the army, and nearly allselves, day after day.-In some places, the navy must be discharged; the petitioners have included all the war taxes, in others only the malt and property tax, in others only the property tax. The first is the only rational mode of proceeding; for, in fact, all the taxes are equally burdensome. But, in some places, as at Worcester City, they are for doing away with all the war-taxes, except the Landlord's part of the property tax. What a whim is this! What a childish distinction ! Is it not clear, that the Landlord's part of the property tax must be included in the rent of the tenant, and that, finally, it must be paid by those who eat the bread, the meat, the butter, the cheese, the poultry, the milk, and the eggs, and who wear the flax and the Wool? People are so galled with their difficulties to pay the taxes, that they know not what they say. Political eco-effect a reform in that body who imposed nomy is a subject too deep for minds in general; but, as every one now feels, every one cries out. Sir Francis Burdett, in 1811 or 1812, when he moved the address in the House of Commons, was most grossly abused for describing the Property Tax in colours far less odious than those, in which" the loyal" now describe it. Thus time makes all sorts of changes.-But, if other taxes be imposed instead of the war taxes, what will the people have gained? If, for instance, JERRY JOBERNOL, the farmer, should get rid of his tenpounds a year of war taxes, and should, in future, have to pay ten pounds a year in lieu of it, in his salt, malt, horse, window, soap, candle and leather tax, what wouldJerry thereby gain? And, if the petitioners mean, that no other taxes should be laid on in lieu of the war taxes, they should say so. -Then, do they mean, that the funding | system should be destroyed, and that the fund-holders should not be paid their dividends? No: they do not mean this. Why then do they not say so? And, why do they not point out how faith may be kept with the fundholders, and the war taxes (without substitutes) be done away?

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these taxes, is alive to see the day when those, who clamoured for his destruction, clamour against those taxes. He is alive to see "the loyal" pouring forth all sorts of invective against thing Too une la boured to prevent. Miessary to e alive to enjoy this spectacle; but, mis efforts, the noble stand which he made, will always be remembered with gratitude by those who retain any esteem for the rights and liberties of their forefathers.

No. I.-CORN BILL.

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IT is now evident to me, that our ministers mean to propose a law to put a stop to the importation of Corn. I am confirmed in this opinion by the language of the COURIER newspaper for time past; and especially by the following article, which appeared in that paper of the 23d instant, and which article I am morally certain came from a source of authority. The reader will see, from the ability with which it is written, that it never could come from the same pen whence proceed the articles of the Editor of that paper; and the form and place, of it, if the reader could see them, would strengthen the opinion. After inserting it, I shall endeavour to shew, how it blinks all the main points, how fallaThere must be new taxes laid on, equal cious it is, how it is calculated to deceive and to mislead. "The Meetings upon "the Agricultural State of the Country Dit There must be Loans in time of peace;" are become universal. This is a sub

The war taxes must be continued

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"ject which we touch always with deli- " ever high it was, did not depend upon cacy, and almost with dread. It is" them. It arose from causes over which "one of such vital importance, one in" they had no controul; from deficient "which a false step, or an erroneous doc- " seasons, and from the state of the con"trine, may do such incalculable mis-"tinent, with which all intercourse was "chief, that we fear ever to pronounce" prevented. But allowing, for the sake "any decisive opinion. What suggestions" of argument, that they did make large we throw out, we throw out with diffi-" fortunes, that must have been a public dence and hesitation, convinced of our benefit, inasmuch as the increase of being more in want of information, than "their capital would naturally lead them "able to communicate any. But there" to extend the agriculture of the coun"are some facts upon which there can try, to improve bad land, and bring "be no doubt, and upon them we may "the waste into produce. The answer safely reason--and in reasoning upon to the first question involves in it an "them, we are quite sure that we shall" answer to the second.-Upon the third "not deserve, in the words of Mr.Burke, we very willingly observe, that we are "to be classed amongst "those wicked" for the people having this necessary of "writers of the newspapers, who would" life as cheap as possible; but we would "inflame the poor against their friends," not purchase an unexampled cheapness "guardians, patrons, and protectors."--" to-day, with the certainty, or even the "Upon this subject,more than any other," risk, of having dearness to-morrow. By "there are prejudices so strong as almost" the return of last Saturday's Gazette, to resist the evidence of the strongest we find that the average price of wheat "facts, and these prejudices are infinite-" was 31. 3s. 4d. the quarter, or 7s. 11d. ly aggravated by the number of idle" the bushel: Barley, Il. 11s. 6d. ; and "tales spread about by the industry of" Oats, 11. 3s. 9d. This cheapness arises faction, and greedily devoured by the" from two causes-the admitting the malignant credulity of mankind. When" free importation of corn, and the con"grain is dear, the prejudice is against "sequent necessity under which the monopolizers; when it is cheap, then" British farmer has been of bringing his "the cry is, to give the utmost license" grain to market. The generality of "and encouragement to importation, "mankind, looking only at the present "in order that it may become cheaper" result, will rejoice, and we are not sur"still, and thus, as we have heard it" prised at it, and feel disposed to look said, to be revenged on the farmer." with an evil eye upon any thing that “But revenge ought not to be exercised" would disturb it. Forbearance, and against the farmer. Revenge on the "the want of all interference would "farmer would soon be accompanied "be a greater disturber than any "with a much wider vengeance upon" other cause, For let but the systheavengers--they would themselves be-" tem of encouraging the free imporcome at no remote period the victims of " tation of corn be continued, and the their vengeance. Evils however at a dis-" vengeance which the ignorant would tance we are too apt neither to see nor "inflict upon the British farmer would "care for."Have not farmers (is the" be complete. He would not enter the common cry,) been making immense" lists of competition with the foreign "fortunes for the last twenty years?" grower, for he would not cultivate "Have they not been living upon the grain at all. But the British farmer "distresses of the people? And ought ought not to be so dealt with, nor not the latter to have the advantageought the food of the people of Eng" which the late harvests and peace have "land to depend upon foreign coungiven them, to have bread at as cheap "tries. There is not a more obvious principle than this, that men will not

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a rate as possible?" We answer each "of these questions-That the farmers apply their industry and their capital "to the growing or manufacturing an "article which they cannot sell at a

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"have been making immense fortunes for the last twenty years, is an asser"tion which it is as easy to make, as we "believe it would be difficult to provė. "But if they had, how would that bear

price higher than it cost them in grow-
ing or manufacturing it; a price that
shall enable them if not to lay something

upon the subject? The price, how-"by, at least to maintain them. Wheat

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ensue, where can you look to? To "the British farmer? No-you have "turned your back upon him. But there "is another thing to be considered, grain

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may be cheap, and yet be less within "the compass of some than when it was dearer. If agriculture be discouraged, the farmer will not want so "many labourers, the ploughman, the "thresher, and the reaper, will not be "wanted-and thus will those persons starve amidst cheapness.""But it has been said, let the farmer look "to his landlord, who having raised his

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rent in proportion to the encreasing price "of grain, ought now to be lowered to the "level at what it was before such increase. "There is much reason in this, and it will

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operate no doubt upon the landlord. If "he find that he cannot get a high rent paid, but that he can get a lower one, of course he will prefer the latter. The cessation of the Property Tax will be another relief; But these of themselves "will not be sufficient. We take our stand upon this ground, which cannot be sha"ken; that the British farmer should have an interest in cultivating grain. Has "he that interest at the present prices? No. What is the remedy? Clearly that "the foreign grower should bear some Iof the burthens that he does; that he

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"and Barley at the last prices quoted "in the Gazette, are at a less price than "the expence to which the farmer would "be put by growing them, including "wages to labourers, keep for horses, "repair of waggons, cost of the seed, "and rent to the landlord. Of course then he will direct his industry and capital to other channels; he will not grow grain; he will not make land hitherto barren, productive in corn; " he will not bring the wastes and heaths "into cultivation. There will comparatively be no English corn grown. δε "Very well," we hear some say, "and what is that to us, provided we still "have abundant supplies open to us." "But softly! it is a great deal to them a great deal indeed! In the first place, the foreign grower, when he "finds that he has nothing to fear from "the rivalship of the British farmer, will" "raise his price. << This is obviousWhen he knows you must depend upon "him for the commodity, he will increase "his terms. There is not a plainer "commercial principle than this. Here "then is the first inroad upon the cheapness which you flattered yourself would "be so permanent. But you must not forget another circumstance--that peace cannot be perpetual, and that "wars must take place.-Nay, that fo-"should pay a duty upon importation; reign powers may be more likely to go "to war with us, thinking that they "have the means in their hands, (we, depending upon them entirely for grain) of compelling us to accept terms and to make concessions. We put a case-Poland will be annexed to, or "under the controul of Russia. It is "from Poland we derive the largest "continental supplies of foreign corn, Should we go to war with Russia, she" grain the farmer so far from inaking might shut all her ports, Russian as "this interest upon his capital must les"well as Polish, and prevent the expor- "sen that capital by cultivating. What "tation of grain.-What should we do "the price should be per quarter to "then? We might procure it from other enable him to pay his rent and gain so "parts, from the Barbary States and "much upon his capital, we presume "from America. But would not the "not to state from our own knowledge, price be much increased upon us, those "Some of the witnesses examined by the "Powers always keeping in mind that" House of Lords declare that wheat we must depend upon them? Well, ought to be 41. 16s. a quarter, or 12s, "but this is not all-you have formed" a bushel to produce this effect. Others your calculations and your hopes upon "fix it at 41. or 10s. the bushel; none "The certainty of the harvest never fail"lower. At 31. 15s. or 9s. 4d. per ing upon the Continent, of there being " bushel, (see the reports of the House always fine and productive scasons. If "of Lords,) all declare the farmer could "the harvest should fail and a scarcity "not be able to pay his rent and get

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