The advantage of my plan would be, that it pledges us to no English Reform
which any man objects to.-Mr. BROUGHAM'S Letter to a Scotch Friend, 28th
April, 1810.

I wish thirty rotten boroughs to be disfranchised; freeholders and copyholders to
vote in counties, and taxed householders in boroughs; but I do not mean the country
shall have an annual parliament.—Mr, BRAND, in the House of Commons, May
21, 1810.

Annual parliaments are the ancient constitution of England, and the birth-right of
Englishmen.--The Deputies of the petitioning counties, cities, and towns, in
their memorial of 1780.

Representation ought to be co-extensive with taxation in support of the Poor, the
Church, and the State, and equally distributed; and parliament brought back to a
constitutional duration.-SIR FRANCIS BURDETT, in the House of Commons,
June 15, 1809.

LONDON:

PRINTED BY J. M'CREERY, BLACK-HORSE-COURT.

FOR JOSEPH JOHNSON AND CO. ST. PAUL'S CHURCH-YARD.

1810.

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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY 95429

ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS. 1898.

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THE PEOPLE OF ENGLAND.

28th September, 1810.

INHERITORS AND ASSERTORS OF LIBERTY

RENOWNED ENGLISHMEN!

LONG enough, my countrymen, had you been the dupes of factions contending for power. In ceasing to be dupes you are in a right state of mind for saving your country from ever again being put in that situation, between Whigs and Tories, which an honest historian calls being crucified between two thieves. Though his allusion is not complete, his meaning is clear. He considered Whig and Tory leaders, for the most part, not only as thieves, but as the very crucifiers of their country; and he lamented, as we must have lamented, that very excellent men, seduced by sophistry, and some erroneous notions on the means of resisting evil ministers, became the allies, abettors, and instruments of such leaders.

This disposition of yours no longer to be duped, is, with the unprincipled part of those public men who at present are out of power, a source of much querulous lamentation. The people,'

say they, have lost all moral feeling: they are become debased "beyond redemption: they now calumniate all public men alike. 'None have their confidence: this is the last stage of depravity: 'they are thus prepared for the yoke of despotism.'

Ministers see with different eyes. They perceive a confidence so unbounded reposed by the people in one public man, they dare not meet that individual, even on a question of law, without an army of thirty thousand men, well provided with artillery, at their backs.

Such are the opposite views taken by opposite parties of popular confidence. But what is the sober truth? It is most true that the people are wearied out and disgusted, by the perpetual imposition and apostasy of political leaders. It is, however, equally true, and it is the key to their apathy towards such leaders, that they have learned to know better, than to put their trust in princes,

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