Charter (Newspaper) - August 25, 1839, London, Middlesex ESTABLISHED BY THE WORKING CLASSES they who SEEK nothing but own JUST have always a bight to win and to keep whenever they have the be the voices never 80 numerous that oppose 41 such as deserves the is the portion of the mass of the and not the haughty license op some predominant No. 31 AUGUST 25, 1839 Price 6b how can the condition of the PEOPLE be We have recently been told by Lord John in a in the House of that we ought not to encourage the hope that any change in the persons by whom the House of Commons is or any change in the mode of would produce high and a greater degree of comfort to the working And in the same speech he is still more for he I do not think that any law can pass that would at all tend to improve their We are thus given distinctly to that so far as the working classes are Parliament might as well cease to sit This is very and we are much obliged to his Lordship for his as it will tend to open the eyes of many who are still foolish enough to suppose that justice for the masses can be obtained from an aristocratical Our rulers tell us to that the present state of things is the height of that we are living in Utopia The idea is certainly most and it comes with admirable consistency from a but a very short time declaimed from one end of the kingdom to the upon the necessity of reforming the in order that the welfare of the might be effectually But it turns that though nothing has been nothing is to be the only object of these in holding forth such magnificent being to get into and enjoy the emoluments and power hitherto held by the opposite But are we to believe these fawning -is there indeed no hope for suffering humanity is it really true that the Oligarchy have so carefully attended to the interests of the working so wisely searched after and adopted every tiling tending to the happiness of the people at that nothing remains to be done I whether any thing can be done to increase the comforts and enjoyments of one class of the the Aristocracy their worldly affairs may be truly said to have reached the and any change would necessarily be the worse for The effects of a few just and proper measures connected with and taxation of would most deprive these worthies of half their and all their ill-gotten and That they should shout out in favour of the present state of things in therefore quite and we may of course be prepared to see them manfully exerting themselves to prevent any But it by no means follows that the middle and working classes have arrived at the ne plus ultra of human it strikes forcibly that their condition is capable of great It seems to me that a Parliament resolved on consulting the interests of the and not of the in an infinite variety of increase the comforts and exalt the character of the human It would of course be impossible on the present occasion to go at any great length into a consideration of what might be but still enough can be briefly enumerated and alluded by way of to show the utter falsehood of the that the condition of the people cannot be And here 1 would premise that there is no probability whatever of carrying into effect any one of the measures about to be until the people are really and truly In the firat 1 would beg leave to submit that a repeal of the laws prohibiting the importation of food from and a repeal of all the taxes upon articles of would have the effect of making necessaries and comforts of every kind more and consequently of placing them more within the reach of all 2. That the and might be better provided 3. That the people might be 4. Thai justice might be brought within the reach of all the laws and the administration of them being made more simple and 5. That the dwellings of the poor might be made more wholesome and comfortable by public that their and amusement might be effectually provided and that various encouragements and aids mi jht be given to the provident and fi. that employment might be madr natural of which would for a day's removal of the food monopoly would secure to the labourer the fruits of his and prevent a rise in the price of corresponding with the improved means of the let us consider the effect of these Simple as they they would entirely change the face of and convert this scene of misery into one of comparative With regard to the practicability of the first five measures nothing need be but the last requires a detailed To secure the happiness of the two things are most both of which can certainly be secured in this country j 1st. The existence of an abundance of all kinds of necessaries in the 2dly. Abundant so that the people may be enabled to earn good and thus possess themselves of those As to the first there can never be an abundance of the first necessaries of so long as we are by the laws to the produce of our own circumscribed and densely populated and there can never be a full enjoyment of those little luxuries which make life whilst they are subject to enormous But a removal of these restraints will clearly secure the first Then as to the there cannot be good wages when the supply of labour greatly exceeds the How to prevent the latter evil is the principal matter that now remains for In the first the labour market maybe to a very great from women and children for if the earnings of the head of a family be not sufficient for their let assistance be given by the in order that the instead of baing put to work at a tender may be sent to and the wife be kept at home to attend to domestic it must be borne in mind that the cheapening of common necessaries will leave more money to be expended on manufactured goods add vastly to our home And the same effects will How from an increase of foreign caused by the exchanging of our for and other each trade and employment can be to a great of its superfluous by a careful and judicious encouragement of find various parts of the earth admirably calculated for the abode of open to his A few hundreds of thousands expended in erecting colonies would greatly increase the happiness of the human both at home and No expense should be spared on the part of the government to establish colonies in a proper in the most suitable Everything should be provided for the reception and permanent comfort and security of the Instead of these matters are now left to private who are intent upon nothing but their own New sources of commerce and marts for our be thrown open for and thus a double benefit be a reduction of superfluity in the labour market at and a vast addition to great public works could be set on foot by the encouragement of the such as the making of suitable ports and and the bringing of millions of acres of marsh and waste lands into This would create permanent And to secure adequate remuneration for peaceable combination to raise wages should be instead of In it cannot be beyond human wisdom to secure employment for the by these and other A Parliament representing the working and seeing that full employment is one of the essential principles of national and having nothing to divert their attention from this paramount will be determined that this essential shall not be Its strenuous and well directed efforts cannot fail of success its time and talents will be directed to instead of the consideration of such subjects as now occupy the Hitherto no attempt of the kind has been representative principle has never been carried out in this or the employment of it by the government and court party and measures relative to the property of the and the punishment of have absorbed all The intellect and energy of the nation directed into a proper cannot fail to secure an abundance of the and even of the luxuries of life for the community at This country is of itself capable of producing whatever else is required can be got in exchange for the produce of our mechanical skill and The advantages to be gained by good are by no means to the lower classes all except the aristocratical orders would derive the greatest benefit from a Parliament representing the whole body of the More particularly would our soldiers and sailors find their condition for sympathy would be aroused in their their miserable pay would be the degrading punishment and tyrannical laws to which they are subject would be swept would be open to the duration of their service would be and their comforts in all respects would be instead of their being treated like dogs and outcasts from The condition of the middle classes would be trade would be increased by the very means would improve the condition of the working And the various comforts and luxuries of which the middle classes are now stinted in the enjoyment by being relieved from be brought within their easy The wealthy by having their property heavily might be curtailed in their but why should the middle and working classes be cramped for their emolument The splitting of the large fortunes of the that would be the consequence of and the distribution of patronage to the deserving would be incalculably beneficial to the middle As to the poorer their employment would be would-be relieved from the pressure of domestic when food good clothing would be obtained by them for employment being made more wages would be and the Corn Laws and taxes on articles of consumption being and all necessaries and would become Not only would the masses enjoy an abundance of the comforts of but their minds would improved and their station in the scale of society be greatly The pleasures of literature be added to their other and every species of innocent recreation and amusement would be fostered and encouraged by the The in having to seek the favor and suffrages of the working would be obliged to cultivate a-good understanding with and haughtiness and austerity on the one and degradation on the would be superseded by a spirit of good feeling and All this is not matter of supposition and idle means above pointed out are simple and practicable and the cause of bur present condition is sufficiently when we look at the nature of aristocratical and the subjects which occupy the attention of a Parliament alien from the interests feelings of the Wherever the representative principle has been in full operation for a reasonable length of there we always find the masses comparatively notwithstanding the want of many of those natural and acquired advantages which this country has long This is nothing but the natural effect of an obvious cause for where the people are governed by an irresponsible the welfare of the many will not be their wants and wishes will not be properly made and debasing ignorance and misery must follow while on the other the government emanates from and remains under the control of the there every thing is made subservient to the general and universal happiness and intelligence The dawn of better days is just after centuries of usurpation and The sacred principle of which may be said to be a modern cannot be much longer prevented from flourishing ia its full To say that the condition of society cannot be improved by good is as absurd as it would be to affirm that we have arrived at absolute perfection in all the arts and Friday shortly before one an alarming fire broke out at a in near the Victoria Engines were quickly brought to the and there was a plentiful supply of The firemen were successful in preventing the flames spreading to the adjoining houBe of Mr. the ignition of which would have no doubt been attended with most terrible The fire was got under by two but considerable damage was How it originated is Tux Scotch nearly seventy iu have continued their and transacted much since the close of the report we elsewhere Next week we shall furnish a detailed report of the more important items in their 11 Monday this town exhibited a scene of determined vigour in support of the political demands of the Barty in the a accompanied by a number of bearing appropriate paraded the to the great discomfiture of all those who ars satisfied with things as they Not a printer in the town print the bills announcing a public and the resolutions as suggested by the the Committed issued written which had the desired effect of giving full The meeting assembled on the a waggon having been provided for the and was called to the The business of the meeting was then opened by singing a after which the Chairman read a letter received from the mayor of the purporting his willingness for the working classes to hold a public provided they did not disturb the &c. the hoped the meeting would pay strict attention to what might be said by the different and trusted that all those who differed in opinion froi the sentiments would come forward on the and calmly and dispassionately discuss the Mr. John Roberts moved the first resolution in an appropriate in the coure of which he read extracts from the writings aud speeches of Lords Robert Jeremy and several and accompanied the same with some excellent The resolution was as That this meeting views with feelings of the unjust interference of the local aided by the in attempting to put down the while assembled in a peaceful and constitutional which has been the case in Birmingham and other inasmuch as it plainly shows the hostility of the government and the middle classes to the inherent rights of the much injured wealth and what makes it still more cruel and unjust that the parties were placed in their present position by the people they now unjustly imprison and villainously Mr. Hollowell seconded the the which was carried Christopher moved the following resolution That this meeting is deeply convinced that nothing short of the People's being made the law of the can ensure to the of this any civil or political to speak in public or on the deep injustice of legislative and we do pledge by the help of persevere firmly and until the sovereignty of the people of this country is that government may be founded upon the principle of giving equal protection to the entire which is the true end for which it was Mr. Hamson supported the resolution in a speech of great deprecating the present system of and proving the 11 to be the only means of Mr. seconded the which was canned Mr. of social then stepped and in a masterly style explained the five points of and declared the 41 fitness to exercise them as their Although not a Chartist he was delighted to see the present it being a stepping stone to Richard then moved the following resolution - That this meeting deeply sympathises with those victims of the b arid despotic who are now suffering imprisonment for their strict adherence to the cause of the and we furthermore pledge ourselves to use all the means in our power to obtain a remittance of the sentence so unjustly passed upon at the same we cannot help expressing our disgust at the foul and unmanly conduct of the Attorney-General in the prosecution of our worthy John George seconded the which was carried James moved a petition to the on behalf of the under sentence of death in Warwick which being seconded by Thomas was agreed George in a short moved the following That the democrats of now assembled in public do heartily rejoice in the cordial co-operation of our J rish brethren in and we confidently hope that our brethren in all parts of who lore their and their will copy their noble and join the democrats of and to secure justice for both Robert briefly seconded the and John in an excellent moved the address to the as adopted by the which being seconded by Thomas was A vote of thanks was then passed to the and the meeting quietly Awful inquest was held on at the before Mr. on the body of Mrs. Mary Ann aged forty-two It appeared from the evidence that the who was and within a few days of her retired to rest about ten o'clock on Sunday immediately after having eaten a very On awaking at three o'clock the next she complained of a great difficulty of and appeared to be dying from Mr. of was sent and his having promptly that nothing could be done for the as both herself and the child were quite DM of i. d f i
