VOL. 58.-No. 2.] LONDON, SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1826. [Price 6d. "This Bill (Mr. Peel's) was grounded on concurrent Reports of both "Houses; it was passed by unanimous votes of both Houses; it was, at the "close of the Session, a subject of high eulogium in the Speaker's Speech to "the Regent, and in the Regent's Speech to the two Houses: now, then, I, William Cobbett, assert, that, to carry this Bill into effect is impossible; and "I say, that, if this Bill be carried into full effect, I will give Castlereagh "leave to lay me on a Gridiron and broil me alive, while Sidmouth may stir "the coals, and Canning stand by and laugh at my groans.”—Taken from Cobbett's Register, written at North Hempstead, Long Island, on the 24th of September, 1819, and published in England in November, 1819. The Small-Note Bill, passed in 1822, partly repealed Peel's Bill, before the day for its going into full effect: and, in December, 1825, the one-pound notes of the Bank of England came out again.—So that here was the above prophecy completely fulfilled. FEAST OF THE GRIDIRON. 、 Kensington, 5th April, 1826. THIS Feast will have taken place before this Register can come from the press. It is come at last; nor, indeed, has it been very tardy in coming. The prediction on which it was founded bears date only late in the year 1819. It is only seven years and a half since it was published; and the feast might have been held in July, 1822; for then Peel's Bill was, in part, repealed. But, though this was the fact, I thought it best to put off the keeping of the feast until every man's eyes should be opened, which they now have been by the blowing up of the Rooks, and by the re-appearance of the small bank-of-England notes, to do away with which, and of all other small notes, FOR EVER, was the great object of Peel's Bill. However, it is unnecessary to say more on this subject at present. To have seen, written on the walls of several C Printed and Published by WILLIAM COBBETT, No. 183, Fleet-street, Oh, yes! country towns, " COBBETT'S a considerable surRIGHT: NO RAG-MONEY:"plus"! A monstrous heap of asto have seen this in my late jour-sets! Now, as the first of these ney to NORWICH, tells me that two roguery-words means more the abuse heaped on me for twenty than enough, and, as the second years, by the vile newspapers, means enoughs, how happens it has now received an answer from that these people stopped? If they the people themselves. There will, had real money in their shops, or to-morrow, be feasts of the same if they had, in any things of real sort at several places in England. value, more than enough to pay It will be the day of triumph of with, why were they not ready to me and of those who have thought pay, especially after all the awful with me. We have a right to warnings that they had had? Are rejoice; and rejoice we do, and not these statements delusive, then? that, too, from the bottom of our And for what can they be intendhearts. ed? Why, to assist in cheating the people. In absolutely cheating them, by inducing them to confide in that which is worthy of no confidence. HEREFORDSHIRE BANKS. MORE smashing in this part of the country; but the smashing is now become so common that it scarcely excites attention. The new smashing is announced by the "INDEPENDENT" in the following words: This same paper tells us of the distress created in Herefordshire by the breaking of the Rooks. Aye, to be sure! Who expected the contrary? But, is this not a good reason to wish for the total destruction of such a system? Is "LEOMINSTER AND LUDLOW it not a good reason for endeavour"BANKS.-We regret to state that ing to render, in future, such dis"on Monday, Messrs. Coleman tress impossible?" The glovers " and Wellings, bankers, Ludlow, at LUDLOW," says this stupid cox"and on Tuesday, Messrs. Cole- comb of the Hereford" INDEPEN man, Morris, and Sons, bankers, DENT," are turning off all their "Leominster, in consequence of " hands, for want of a circulating "the sudden and unexpected de- " medium to pay them with. Such "mands made upon them, deemed are the blessings of the COBit prudent to suspend their pay"BETT SYSTEM." Just the "ments for the present. Both reverse, thou worse than ass in "firms state, that a statement of man's shape; just the reverse; for "their affairs will be immediately the "COBBETT SYSTEM "submitted to the Creditors. system of solid money; a system "Messrs. Coleman, Morris and that provides effectually for a mo"Sons make no doubt that they ney that is not liable to be swept "shall have a considerable sur-away in this manner. If the glo"plus, after all demands are dis charged. These additional fail"ures will cause much distress, as "the circulation of both houses was large." 66 " is a vers at LUDLOW had never heard of paper-money; if the "Cobbett System," that is to say, the laws and customs of England, had been always in force, the glovers. 1 66 66 of Ludlow could never have known spirit enough left in the city their present misery. So that the of Hereford to bring to full famous Ass of Hereford, whose light the matter to which I ears are, I am told, of surprising" allude.'-We have made inelegance, symmetry, and espe- quiries into the affair alluded cially, length; this famous ass, to, and are satisfied that had the whose brayings, it is notorious," transaction which has awakenare nearly as loud as the great bell" ed the amiable and trust-worthy of the cathedral, and whose tongue" Cobbett's virtuous apprehensions is admired as coming so closely to been carried into effect-it the shape and size of that bell's" would have benefited in a very clapper, while his skull has been,"considerable degree the parties by the Craniological Society, pro-over whose interests the Cobnounced to consist of the same "bettites pretend to watch so assort of materials as those of which " siduously. But it was not carthat bell' is made, namely, dross" ried into effect-and in any and brass; this famous ass is just case the benevolence, the honour, out in his estimate of the Cobbett" and the wealth of the gentlemen System, which is a system of uni-" at whom the unworthy imputaform safety and peace. "tion glances-should have pro"tected them from its acrimony." In my address to the people of Herefordshire, I alluded to some- So, then, there was something thing that I had heard about in contemplation, at last! And, trust-money. The Ass of Hereford if not carried into effect, why was has pricked up his ears, and, ass- it not? We shall have it all out like, has brayed about this. What before it be over. The whole will an ass it is! Really it must be come out, in spite of all this benenearly upon all-fours. Why could volence, honour, and wealth. It is the Ass not have kept silence, a thing that will amuse us : pity unless he could have spoken plain, that we had it not for the Feast and given a better account of the of the Gridiron! And, why, if matter than the following: "We the affair were so very good, why "cannot enter this week, on the does not the Ass explain it to us; "monstrous propositions and exe-or, why does he not hold still that "crable doctrines, which are em-clapper, which he carries in his "bodied in the article now under head of brass? He calls my inflagellation--but it contains one sinuation "base and villanous." "insinuation, so base and villan- What was it? Why this: " I ask, "ous, that we cannot suffer it to whether something particular pass unnoticed. It is couched" has not taken place at Here"in the following words :- I"ford, of late, relative to money “ ́cannot conclude this address" held in public trust." That is "without asking, whether some-all. Not a word more. What is thing particular has not taken there of base and villanous in the place at Hereford, of late, rer word "particular"? Ah! thou "lative to the disposition of mo- famous Ass of Hereford, thou art so ney held in public trust? If fond of braying; thou art so much "what I have heard upon this of the breed of thy brother in the subject be true, there is surely fable, that thou canst not refrain from discovering thy pedigree by | May, to set off, on horse-back the vanity which induces thee to believe, that thy voice is the finest of that of all the beasts of the forest. 66 tr - from this place to Reading, thence to Newbury, thence to Salisbury, and on, through Frome and Bristol, to Hereford; then to Worcester; then to Coventry, and on Having expressed my anxious wish to go to Hereford, that hap-to Liverpool; and then right on, py city without a bank, the ass, through thick and thin, to Glasafter braying out a good deal gow, taking a look at the Cottonabout my rejoicing at the distress Lords as I go through Lancashire, of the people, proceeds thus: and going to see that same Bolton, Spirit of Jack the Painter!"- where JOHN HAYES was impri"What a paltry incendiary' soned for announcing my arrival didst thou animate! Here is a in good health, at Liverpool. "public writer-a self-created From Glasgow I shall, taking a prophet-a would-be MEMBER Sweep about, go to MODERN "OF PARLIAMENT rejoicing in ATHENS and see the Edinburgh "the distress which he has la-Reviewers; and then come back, "boured so assiduously to pro- through Yorkshire, and on, through "mote !!! Let him come to Lincolnshire, to Norwich; and "Hereford by all means; and then to Kensington, through Hertthough the distress-the 'terri- fordshire. I have a right to do this; "ble distress'—the tears of abject I like to do it; and I will do it. I "want-and the pangs of honour- have always found, that, to know "able feeling cannot find sym- and be known, you must use your 66 pathy' in his muscular callosity eyes as well as your ears. The “mis-named a heart-yet, even brayings of this famous Ass of "that may be taught to feel for Hereford, do, indeed, make me " himself. We shall be much know him pretty well; but I shall “ surprised if his reception be not never be able fully to ascertain "either more cool than he ex- what he is, till I see his ears. I "pects-or more warm than he cannot dismiss this article without wishes it to be." calling upon the Ass of Hereford Warm or cool I shall be there to tell us the whole story about in about five or six weeks, unless this trust money. I asked whether I find that the parliament is about there were not something particuto be dissolved, and that is what I lar about it. He darts up his long by no means expect. And does ears, calls the insinuation base and this ass really hope to frighten villanous. Now, if I were to say me? To be sure his brayings and to any man, Is not there somehis ears are enough to frighten thing particular relative to your one; but, I am duly prepared for wife's conduct, what would any them. They will not take me by one suspect if the lady were to surprise. I intend to dine at call my insinuation base and vilHereford about the middle of lanous? Should not we suspect May. My intention is this: when that she was conscious that there I have put all my seeds into the was a something or other in her ground and graffed all my trees, conduct that ought not to be? which will be about the first of Why suppose that I alluded to something that was bad? Why their friends, will be able to give not suppose me to have alluded me any annoyance. I shall not to something that was very good? desire to have any thing like an Readers, who live at a distance entertainment fixed on for me. I from Hereford, will not fail to shall go, in every place that I draw just conclusions from these enter, to the inn that I like best; premises; and a large part, at and if any body have a mind to least, of the inhabitants of Here- come and dine with me, and talk ford, know well that what the Ass with me, so be it; if not, I shall of Hereford has here asserted re-dine and talk with my own travellative to this matter is wholly false. ling companions. I shall find They know well that the parties some friends every where; and, interested would not have been after all the battles with the feelobenefited by the transaction to sophers, I shall find, not a few which allusion has been made. in Scotland itself. This I know, However, when I get to Here- that I shall find no place of any ford, I will take the liberty to make importance, where there are not an inquiry somewhat more minute people who have handled me than any that I can make at this more roughly than I have ever distance; and if I find sufficient attempted to handle any body. grounds for it, I shall recommend They shall now, if they will, see a petition to Parliament upon the the man whom they have so much subject. "Petition me no peti-abused; and, which is but fair, I tions!" said Tom Thumb the will if I can, literally look in the face Great. Our Collective has not those that have abused me. I will, said that yet they require, in- in another Register, mark out my deed, that our language should be route, as nearly as I possibly can. respectful, and I defy any man to Free quarter is exceedingly consay that I ever wrote or recom-venient, as well as pleasant. As mended any petition to that illus- far as Herefordshire, I shall have trious body, that was not ccuched two horses, one for myself, and in language as respectful and as one for my little son. After that, humble as could possibly be re- 1 shall have, I believe, another quired, even if the Collective horseman, of about the same age possessed that omnipotence which with my son, and we shall jog has been so audaciously ascribed along at the rate of about to it. twenty or thirty miles a day. We shall have nothing to prevent us from diverging to the right and to the left; and if any friend of mine should wish me to take his house on my way, I shall comply with his wish, if it be possible to do it without very great inconvenience. I shall avoid the turnpike roads as much as possible. I want to go and see the people, particularly in the villages and hamlets, where they are the most friend This famous Ass of Hereford brays so loudly, only because he knows that I am at such a distance from him. When I arrive at the spot where he is, he will be as mute as a fish. I shall give notice in the Register of the time of my departure; and shall appoint the day as nearly as possible when I shall be at Hereford. No broken rook; no plucked rook, and no still feathered rook; and none of |