famishing with our own bread only, or by trying to prevent men from being reduced to a state of famine by bad Government? Are we to show our love of the poor by supplying two, or three, or ten, or a dozen of them with work only, or by endeavouring to induce Government to adopt such laws, and pursue such a course, as would secure employment to all? A Christian, in my judgment, should show his love of the poor in every way he can. He should labour to afford relief to the poor by all the means in his power. And how can a man so effectually secure relief to the poor, as by labouring to destroy the chief causes of poverty, and to secure to nations such just and beneficent Government, as would afford to all men the means of obtaining, by honest and moderate industry, whatever was needful to their comfort and welfare.

You say, if the poor are starving, let the Christians help them. So say I. And the poor are starving; let the Christians therefore help them. Let them help them, if they can, by giving them bread, or by supplying them with labour. Let them help them, if they can, by giving them clothing or money. But especially let them help them by labouring for the abolition of those foolish and wicked laws which cause their poverty by seeking the overthrow of that wicked and unnatural system of Government that locks up the land, and prevents men from obtaining from it the means of their support. Let Christians help the starving poor, by inducing the men that rob them, to do them justice. If the pooor had justice done them, they would quickly cease to be poor. If the poor had justice done them, the poor would soon be very few. If the poor had justice done them, they would gradually improve both in their circumstances and their character. If the poor are starving, let the Christians help them,' you say. I answer, that is exactly what I am endeavouring to do.

You speak of seeking not the praise of men. I answer, may not a man be as free from the desire to obtain praise from men, when labouring to reform Government, as when dealing out his bread to his famishing neighbours? Are men in any greater danger of seeking the praise of men, when rebuking wicked governors, than they are when joining to establish a soup kitchen, or an association for supplying coals and blankets to the poor?

You say, let them live in union with God. So say I. But what is union with God? Union with God is oneness of spirit, and oneness of effort with God. And God is love. They therefore are one in spirit with God, whose hearts are full of love. And the work of God is to bless his creatures. They

therefore co-operate with God, who labour to promote the improvement and happiness of their neighbours. Union with God therefore is love and beneficence. It is he, and he only, that is truly united with God,-it is he, and he only, who has true communion with God, who loves mankind, and labours, as he has opportunity, whether privately or publicly, whether by influencing Government or tradesmen, public characters or private characters, to secure plenty, and comfort, and knowledge, and blessing, to the whole of his fellow men.

You say, the earth would become a paradise, and resound with the praises of God, if men would consider of their wicked ways, and attend to the monitor within. I agree with you: and the object of all my political writings, and of all my political labours, is to bring men to consider their wicked ways; to attend to the monitor within; to live soberly, righteously, and kindly; to do justly, and love mercy, and thus labour to benefit mankind. The object of all my political labours, is to lead men to labour to dry up the fountain of needless tears; to destroy the cause of unnecessary want, and to effect such changes in the management of public affairs, as shall tend to render the earth the dwelling place of purity, plenty, and joy.

Yours very respectfully,

JOSEPH BARKER.

THE PRESS.

The Leeds Times' is the best provincial paper that I meet with. The spirit that pervades it is in general truly humane, and the doctrines which it inculcates are near the truth. The number for July 15 contains excellent articles, both on the discussion in the House of Commons on the subject of Reform, and on the Government prosecutions in Ireland. Like 'THE PEOPLE,' he differs, to some extent, from the Irish confederates, in opinion, but sympathises with them in their wish and determination to free their country. He denounces the Government for attempting to put down disaffection in Ireland, without introducing measures for the relief of the country. He justly represents the members of the Government as greater offenders than the parties with whom they are contending, and expresses his hope that Irish discontent and Irish agitation will never cease, till Irish want and wretchedness expire. He very truly charges the Government with sacrificing the interests of the Irish people to their own aristocratic connections, and gives some appalling statements with re

spect to Irish ejectments and Irish wretchedness. The following are copied by him from a pamphlet by Mr. Tuke, a member of the society of Friends, who visited Ireland in the autumn of last year, and visited it again during the present year, for the purpose of ascertaining the true condition of the people. The first clearance referred to took place on the estate of Sir R. O'Donnell, who it seems, however, is only the nominal owner of the property, and is not responsible for the occurrences described-:

'Whilst upon the island of Achill, I saw a memorable instance of this course of proceeding, at the wretched fishing village of Kiel, belonging to Sir R. O'Donnell. Here, a few days previous to my visit, some twenty families had been ejected, making, as I was informed, with a previous recent eviction, about forty. A crowd of these miserable ejected creatures collected around us, bewailing with bitter lamentations their hard fate. One old grey-headed man came tottering up to us, bearing in his arms his bed-ridden wife; and, putting her down at our feet, pointed in silent agony to her, and then to his roofless dwelling, the charred timbers of which were scattered in all directions around. This man said he owed little more than a year's rent, and had lived in the village, which had been the home of his forefathers, all his life, Another man, with five motherless children, had been expelled, and their 'boilingpot' sold for 3s. 6d. Another family, consisting of a widow and four young children, had their only earthly possession, 'a little sheep,' seized, and sold for 5s. 6d. ! But it is needless to multiply cases; instances sufficient have been given to show the hardships and misery inflicted. From this village alone, at least one hundred and fifty persons had been evicted, owing from half a year's to a year and a half's rent. What prospects are there for these miserable outcasts? Death indeed must be the portion of some, for their neighbours, hardly richer than themselves, were principally subsisting upon turnip-tops; whilst the poor-house of the Union at Westport is nearly forty miles distant. Turnips taken-can we say stolen-from the fields, as they wearily walked thither, would be their only chance of support. Some indeed would never reach their destination-death would release them from their sufferings, and the landlord from his burden. This was the case in one instance, a few days before my visit. A strong active man was found dead from exhaustion on the road side, within a short distance of a house, which he had vainly endeavoured to reach.'

To understand what Irish wretchedness is, look at this picture of the Borough of Erris.

This barony is situated upon the extreme north-west coast of Mayo, bounded on two sides by the Atlantic ocean. The popula tion last year was computed at about 28,000; of that number, it is said, at least 2,000 have emigrated, principally to England, being

too poor to proceed to America; and that 6,000 have perished by starvation, dysentery, and fever. There is left a miserable remnant of little more than 20,000; of whom 10,000, at least, are, strictly speaking, on the very verge of starvation. Ten thousand people, within forty-eight hours' journey of the metropolis of the world, living, or rather starving, upon turnip-tops, sand-eels, and sea-weed, a diet which no one in England would consider fit for the meanest animal which he keeps. And let it not be supposed that of this famine diet they have enough, or that each of these poor wretches has a little plot of turnips on which he may feed at his pleasure. His scanty meal is, in many cases, taken from a neighbour hardly richer than himself, not indeed at night, but, with the daring of absolute necessity, at noon-day.'

I wish every paper in the country would show as much respect to truth, and do as much justice to the masses of the people of Great Britain and Ireland, as the 'Leeds Times.' I am under no personal obligations to the 'Leeds Times' it has never done me justice, nor shown me any fair degree of respect : but justice to the masses of mankind, is better than justice to me: though perhaps one might say, that justice to the masses can never be done, while injustice is practised towards the friends of the masses.

To J. J. K.-On Sunday Political Meetings.

I think it is only right that you should read what I have written on the Sabbath, before you wish me to insert an article from you on the same subject in THE PEOPLE. You may be led to embrace the views you are now opposing, if you read what I have written.

You say, 'We are not to do evil that good may come.' Granted; but it is not evil to endeavour to reform bad Governments, and thus remove the cause of national distress and danger. It is not evil to endeavour to secure work to the unemployed, food to the famishing, and life to the dying. It is not evil to do good.

You ask me, 'If I will allow that Sunday is every seventh day?' I answer, No. In some parts of the world it is, but not in all. In some parts of the world there is, in fact, but one day in a year. Besides, that which is the seventh day in some parts of the world, is the seventh night in others. There is no

part of time in which it can be said, in reference to the world at large, It is now day; or, It is now night; for while it is day to one-half of the world, it is night to the other half. And this of itself is a proof, that the common doctrine of the Sabbath, has its foundation in ignorance and error.

You ask if I am prepared to prove that Saturday is the seventh day of the week?' I answer; I am prepared to prove that, in one respect, no day of the week is the seventh day in every part of the world; for, as I have said, no two parts of the world, and no two parts of the same country, have exactly the same day, or day exactly at the same time, as other countries, or other parts of the same country.

You ask, 'Am I prepared to prove that there never was a change in the Sabbath from the time that it was first instituted, to the resurrection of Christ?' I am prepared to prove no such thing, nor is any one else. There might be many changes in the Sabbath, for anything I know. But what has that to do with the question, as to whether it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath day?

You ask, 'Is it not possible that there was a change in the Sabbath when the Israelites left Egypt?' I answer, the Sabbath might be first instituted when the Israelites left Egypt, for anything I know.

You ask, 'Is it not possible that at the resurrection of Christ, or soon after, the observance of the Sabbath was restored to the day originally appointed?' I answer, a thousand such things are possible, but none of them can be proved. And if they could, what then? The question is, Is it not our duty to do good, as we have opportunity, unto all men, on every day? Does not true religion consist in doing good? Do not both the Bible and common sense agree in teaching, that what God requires of us, is to do justly, to love mercy, and to live reverently before God? Is it not certain that baptisms, ordinances, meats, drinks, distinctions of days, are nothing; but that to love God, to try to please God by benefitting mankind; to seek to be wise and good ourselves, and to promote wisdom and goodness in others, is the sum and substance of human duty; and the only way to happiness either in this world or in the world that is to come?

You speak of the Creation of the World_having been completed in six days. If you will read my Review of the Bible, you will find that I have no belief in any such notion. There is no evidence, that I know of, that the creation of the world was completed either in six days, or in six thousand years.

You speak of Types and Anti-types. If you will read my writings, you will find that I regard the common doctrine of Types as a human fiction; and you will see my reasons for so regarding it.

You say, 'The Sabbath is a most merciful ordinance.' I answer, it would be more merciful still to do the masses of