Lord Warwick and Mr. Joseph Parkes. to Henry
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
I will not here discuss how far it of classes took place. The week after the Royal assent Now, my lord, the Warwickshire Reformers could sup was just, generous, or politic, thus to reflect on the was given to the Reform Act, I was one of a large Reform interest in town and county. M r. K n i g h t pos sesses several thousands a year of landed estate in ply you Liberal substitutes, of ancient countly family and Birmingham magistracy, when you could not possibly body who withdrew from the association on a public large landed possessions, for a third of your excessive ma declaration stating our objects to be attained. During War wickshire. He had commenced in 1792 the Whig be fully informed of all the circumstances of their oppo sition in W arwick, as a candidate against your jority of Tories. I the whole three years of political agitation I did not will now examine the truth of your animad versions arduous duties and conduct, and when probably your father's interst, though unsuccesfully. This political sin utter a word nor do an act of which I am ashamed, on Lord John R ussell, for partiality in the appointment lordship would not have so reflected, or held them up to was visited upon him by his exclusion from the commis or of which I repent. I incul cated in public and of the M unicipal Magistrates of Birmingham. T h e WARWICKSHIRE AND disrespect as political partisans, if you had then been private respect for the rights of pro perty, and resort sion, although in the year 1797 he had served the o ffice of sheriff in W arwickshire, and also in Montgomery! Town Council presented for approval a list of 21, fully informed that three of the magistrates (Tories) in only to moral force. I represented that the W orking including 7 County Magistrates acting for Birmingham. BIRMINGHAM MAGISTRACY - LORD WARWICK AND Classes were above all others most in terested in Can you deny these facts, or justify the wrong? I might Of these 21, two were Tories; five were Whigs, and the your county commission (also municipal magistrates), the maintenance of law and order, as they w e r e and can multiply examples of political exclusion, but MR. JOSEPH PARKES. TO HENRY remainder (14) Whig-Radical and Radical. The Go were among the most active and most re sponsible of the almost always the greatest sufferers in revolutions. the following summary of your p rese n t ro ll w ill b e s t RICHARD GREVILLE, vernment reduced the list to 19, retaining all the County I was too well informed of the mighty relations of expose its party character. On inspection of the commission acting justices on the lamentable occa sion of the riot. Magistrates presented. Of 22 County Magistrates, acting EARL BROOKE AND WARWICK, DOCTOR OF credit - of the awful evils consequential on the fa ll o f (and the county has to thank you for public a tte n tio n Further, you might have given the magistrates credit, for Birmingham, seven were therefore presented by CIVIL LAWS, &c., LORD-LEIUTENANT AND CUS our monetary system, and the non-employ m e n t o f being called to it through your gratuitous abuse o f m e), the town council. Mr. R ic h a r d S po o n e r , D r. B o o th , as they all deserved, for days of anxious labour, and for labour to advocate violence or riot. At the same time, my I see that including 15 noblemen, 6 honourables, an d 1 4 TOS ROTULORUM OF THE COUNTY OF WARWICK. M r. W . C . A lsto n (Tories), were added by Lord Jo h n lord, I avow that had war been made on the Reformers baronets, you have in gross 157 lay magistrates. In th is M y L ord - Your lordship has twice, within the suppressing the disturbances without sacrifice of human number I find 49 Liberals only, many of the latter as R ussell; and also M r. H e n r y S m it h and M r. W il lia m life. It is very fine, my lord, in thoughtless political at that eventual moment by Tory successors of Lord last twelve months, condescended to introduce my name non-residents not acting! Now to your clerica l p o rtio n P h ipso n (W hig county magistrates), thus making 24 G r e y , I was, with my fellow- townsmen, prepared in gross numbers of the municipal justices. Half the furies, to advise "sabreing and shooting Englishmen of Parson Justices. Few counties can compete with you in debates in Parliament, on the subject of the county and to stand or fall by the P eo ple. I have been for years Tory commission was, there fore formed from the county on the first outbreak of a riot, as humanity and ultimate in number or proportion of clerical magistrates. S ix t y municipal Magistracy of Warwickshire. Your unpro voked misrepresented as an instru ment of the W hig ministry list! The Birmingham county magistrates omitted were Vicars, Rectors, and Curates are in the commission, saving of life." Our country men are not bloodthirsty; at that period in Birming ham. The accusation is false. - M r. P r ic e , M r. L e e , M r. B e a l e , M r. B l a k e w a y , and uncourteous reflections on me personally me rit and forming upwards of a fourth of the entire county magistracy! and it is not only the christian, but the prudent, policy I was scarcely personally known to a member of that an d M r. C a d b u r y - all five advanced in years, and receive only my contempt. If they gratify your lordship you With a good knowledge of the county and the help of cabinet or government on its formation, except to Lord four of the five being Liberals. Two clergymen were of English civil and military forces to suppress riotous local friends, we find that in the sixty priests you have are welcome to repeat or vary them, in or out of Parliament B r o u g h a m . Neither with L o rd B r o u g h a m , n o r a n y om itted, being ineligible under the 98th sec. of the attempts to destroy property without bloodshed. But, b u t f iv e Liberals!!! True, that liberal clergy are not - provided you will not wrong my pub lic reputation by any member of the administration had I any private or Municipal Act. M r. Is a a c S p o o n e r an d M r. G r im e s very ubundant in any county; but as you have lately put in expression of your lordship's good opinion. I am too much first, to your lordship's observations above cited written communication, excepting on two occasions. were also omitted, and are non-residents. The only two a new comer, the Rev. C. P il k in g t o n , an active Tory on myself, on which I will be brief. Your lordship's On one occasion, unsought by me, a Peer to w h o m I other names omit ted of the county list were M r. accustomed to the salutary licence of liberty of speech partisan, we can find you a few Liberal county clergy, was personally unknown, wrote to me deprecat in g F . L l o y d an d M r. D a n ie l L e d s a m (Tories). Thus, m anner or style of using my name does not degrade me, not in the commission, of "old families," and better and freedom of the press in this country to complain of the the local plan of arming proposed in the Union in the in truth, the real o m issions from the county list were but yourself. You exhibit only a want of real nobility of qualified than some Conservatives in your clerical muster common lot of all who mix in the collisions of public life; autum n of 1831, as injurious to the popular cause. seven, viz., four Liberals and three Conservatives. So roll. As my startling assertion of the gross number and mind. If your lordship uses perso nalities, unbecoming Icommunicated the letter to M r. S c h o l e f ie l d b y th e much for your lordship's cor rectness and knowledge and if I regret any public act it is an action I once brought for po litics of your reverend magistrates may not be credited, a man of rank, I will not reply by any vulgar retorts leave of the writer at m y own special request, and slander. If, therefore, your lordship's parliamentary speeches Ihereunder give a list of their names - some of them, of your own commission. Now, my lord, as to at tending the next week the Union Council the project your charge, that I manufactured the Birmingham had simply applied to myself personally, I should not have unbefitting the character of a gentleman. I can account for be it observed, not residing in the county:- was unanimously abandoned after my address to the Commission of the Peace, and obtained a lib e r a l your lordship's spleen.