In my own mind I am at a loss to determine, whether you or the immortal Paine merits the greatest gratitude and praise from mankind. However, this I will say, had it not been for your undaunted mind, we should have remained ignorant of the merits of the most valuable work that ever an Englishman produced. Go on with intrepidity, hero of truth and opposer of error; no doubt but your reward and satisfaction will be more than equal to your indefatigable exertions. In my youth I was taught and obliged by my parents to read the Bible, but no other book; this mode of treatment not only gave me a great dislike to reading the Bible, but to reading of any kind, and rather than go to school, I went to sea, unknown to my parents. Thus, at eighteen years of age, I was almost unable to read ten words in any book, or scarcely write my own name. After the age of eighteen, having a mechanical turn of mind, I bent my attention to this, and I very soon obtained a sufficient knowledge of several of the common mechanical arts, as to be able to work at them pretty well. Next I had a taste for chemistry, but in this I made but very little progress, in consequence of my still retaining a great dislike to books, However, my mind was occupied in learning something or other of a useful nature, until I arrived at the age of twenty-two :-(I am now about thirtyone.) About this time I happened to hear a Mr. Alexander Fletcher preach at a chapel in Miles's Lane, in London This gentleman so much engaged my attention, that I attended his ministry three times almost every Sunday, during my stay in town, which was several months. His preaching brought so powerfully to my mind those early religious instructions I had received from my parents, which were principally the fear of God, the Devil and Hell, that I have been ever since in a labyrinth about those mysteries contained in the Bible and New Testament. Sometimes I have been even wretchedly and miserably perplexed by those mysterious doctrines of the Christian Religion; and although I could not believe them, yet I dared not disbelieve them, but continued to read the Bible with "fear and trembling," and thus my life has been spent in continual dread and misery. But I doubt not you will be better able to conceive the tranquillity of my mind, and the happiness now enjoy than I can possibly express by words, I remain, Dear Sir, &c. Mrs. Todd's Lodgings, Peterborough, Sept. 12, 1819. JOHN BRILL. The following anecdote respecting the Age of Reason, we venture to hold out as authentic, having received it through a respectable channel: During the late confinement of the Prince Regent with the gout, he one evening inquired of his Librarian, (Dr. Clarke) what were those Deistical writings of Paine that made so much noise. "I will have them read to me, Doctor," exclaimed the Prince. Accordingly, Dr. Clarke read them during two evenings.. The Regent paid the most profound attention, and at the close of the second evening's reading thus spoke to the Librarian, "I have the whole, Doctor-I recollect every point; and when the Dandy Bishop* visits me at Brighton, in October, I will make him answer me every objection."t SIR, TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN. YOUR late excellent remarks on the executive, have educed a few from me, on another branch of our constitution. We are often told that the House of Peers forms a most salutary check, alike on the prerogative of the crow, and the licentiousness of the lower branch of our constitution. There are other advantages which we are said to derive from the existence of the noble house; but which are perhaps too evident to your readers, to need my notice. Allow me, however, to offer through "The Republican," the following picture of the present state of the House of Peers. Created previous By the present By the Regent. to the present Total. King, reign. The sixteen Representative Peers for Scotland, are all of * Supposed to be Pelham, Lord Bishop of Exeter. † We would recommend the Regent to attend the Court of King's Bench in October, when the trials of the Editor come on, instead of putting his questions to the Bishop. longer standing than the commencement of the present reign; but the twenty-eight Representative Peers for Ireland, have all been created within that period. Thus with the 2 Archbishops, and 24 Bishops, the House consists of 360 members; of which, only 116 are of earlier creation than the present reign, and during the 7 years of the regency, there have been no less than 39 added. We pretty well know, that men obnoxious to the ruling powers on any account, are seldom exalted, at least in this manner. As the right of conferring titles (and thereby giving one man an equal power to reject or impose laws, with the representative of, perhaps, thousands as honest men as himself) is vested in the crown, of course it is able, at any time, to change the aggregate opinion of that august body, by slipping into the scale a sufficient number of its mercenary slaves, and thereby destroying that happy balance of our constitution so highly extolled. We are told, that the three branches have equal power, but if two of them are thus virtually but one, the remaining one cannot withstand the combination. The fact that a money bill must originate in the Commons, is so much a mere question of privilege, between the two Houses, that it need not be touched on. In offering this statement, I would not be thought averse to the existence of titles*, but, on the contrary, I think it a cheap and an easy method of rewarding merit. The title may be bestowed, but the possessor should not be invested with any privileges, not in common with his fellow-countrymen; for no man can render such services to his country, as to entitle him to a portion of its liberties. Could we trace the motives and objects which have contributed to the ennobling the 244 peers of this reign's creation individually, we shall find, that their titles have generally been the reward of their servility, and we should consider, that every one sfands as a blot in the annals of his country, who arrives at the Temple of Honour by any other way, than through that of Public Virtue. I am, Sir, your constant Reader, 46, Speldhurst Street, Burton Crescent. *The Editor begs leave to express his dissent to the existence of any title, either honorary or otherwise, and his opinion that a sense of having done a duty, and the private esteem of his fellowcitizens, is all the honour an honest man would wish. The following anecdote respecting the Age of Reason, we venture to hold out as authentic, having received it through a respectable channel: During the late confinement of the Prince Regent with the gout, he one evening inquired of his Librarian, (Dr. Clarke) what were those Deistical writings of Paine that made so much noise. "I will have them read to me, Doctor," exclaimed the Prince. Accordingly, Dr. Clarke read them during two evenings.. The Regent paid the most profound attention, and at the close of the second evening's reading thus spoke to the Librarian, "I have the whole, Doctor-I recollect every point; and when the Dandy Bishop* visits me at Brighton, in October, I will make him answer me every objection."+ SIR, TO THE EDITOR OF THE REPUBLICAN. YOUR late excellent remarks on the executive, have educed a few from me, on another branch of our constitution. We are often told that the House of Peers forms a most salutary check, alike on the prerogative of the crow, and the licentiousness of the lower branch of our constitution. There are other advantages which we are said to derive from the existence of the noble house; but which are perhaps too evident to your readers, to need my notice. Allow me, however, to offer through "The Republican," the following picture of the present state of the House of Peers. Created previous By the present By the Regent. to the present King. Total. reign. Dukes, The sixteen Representative Peers for Scotland, are all of * Supposed to be Pelham, Lord Bishop of Exeter. + We would recommend the Regent to attend the Court of King's Bench in October, when the trials of the Editor come on, instead of putting his questions to the Bishop. longer standing than the commencement of the present reign; but the twenty-eight Representative Peers for Ireland, have all been created within that period. Thus with the 2 Archbishops, and 24 Bishops, the House consists of 360 members; of which, only 116 are of earlier creation than the present reign, and during the 7 years of the regency, there have been no less than 39 added. We pretty well know, that men obnoxious to the ruling powers on any account, are seldom exalted, at least in this manner. As the right of conferring titles (and thereby giving one man an equal power to reject or impose laws, with the representative of, perhaps, thousands as honest men as himself) is vested in the crown, of course it is able, at any time, to change the aggregate opinion of that august body, by slipping into the scale a sufficient number of its mercenary slaves, and thereby destroying that happy balance of our constitution so highly extolled. We are told, that the three branches have equal power, but if two of them are thus virtually but one, the remaining one cannot withstand the combination. The fact that a money bill must originate in the Commons, is so much a mere question of privilege, between the two Houses, that it need not be touched on. In offering this statement, I would not be thought averse to the existence of titles*, but, on the contrary, I think it a cheap and an easy method of rewarding merit. The title may be bestowed, but the possessor should not be invested with any privileges, not in common with his fellow-countrymen; for no man can render such services to his country, as to entitle him to a portion of its liberties. Could we trace the motives and objects which have contributed to the ennobling the 244 peers of this reign's creation individually, we shall find, that their titles have generally been the reward of their servility, and we should consider, that every one sfands as a blot in the annals of his country, who arrives at the Temple of Honour by any other way, than through that of Public Virtue. I am, Sir, your constant Reader, 46. Speldhurst Street, Burton Crescent. * The Editor begs leave to express his dissent to the existence of any title, either honorary or otherwise, and his opinion that a sense of having done a duty, and the private esteem of his fellowcitizens, is all the honour an honest man would wish. |