第56章

conducttotheincitementatCobbett’s’lacture。’Cobbettdestroyedanyeffect

thatGoodman’schargemighthavehadbyproducingadeclarationsignedby

onehundredandthreepersonspresentatthelecture——farmers。tradesmen，

labourers，carpenters，andshoemakers——denyingthatCobbetthadmadethe

statementascribedtohiminGoodman’sconfession，oneofthesignatories

beingthefarmerwhosebarnGoodmanhadburnt。Hethenproceededtocontrast

thetreatmentGoodmanhadreceivedwiththetreatmentreceivedbyothers

convictedofincendiarism，andpiecingtogetheralltheevidenceofthemachinations

ofthemagistrates，constructedaveryformidableindictmenttowhichDenman

couldonlyreplythatheknewnothingofthematter，andthatCobbettwas

capableofentertainingthemostabsurdsuspicions。OnanotherquestionDenman

foundhimselfthrownonthedefensive，forhewasnowconfrontedwithhis

ownmisstatementsinParliamentaboutCook，andtheaffidavitsofCook’s

fatherpresentincourt。Denmancouldonlyanswerthattillthatdaynoone

hadcontradictedhim，thoughhecouldscarcelyhavebeenunawarethatthe

HouseofCommonswasnottheplaceinwhichaMinister’sstatementabout

theage，occupation，pay，andconductofanobscureboywasmostlikelyto

bechallenged。Denmanmadeachastenedreply，andthejury，afterspending

thenightattheGuildhall，disagreed，sixvotingeachway。Cobbettwasa

freeman，fortheWhigs，overwhelmedbytheinvectivetheyhadfoolishly

provoked，remembered，whentoolate，thewisesayingofMauriceofSaxony

aboutCharlesV：’Ihavenocagebigenoughforsuchabird，’andresisted

alltheKing’sinvitationstorepeattheirrashadventure。Tothosewhohave

madetheirmelancholywaythroughthetrialsatWinchesterandSalisbury，

atwhichrudeboysfromtheHampshirevillagesandtheWiltshiredowns，about

tobetossedacrossthesea，stoodshelterlessintheunpityingstormof

questionandinsinuationandabuse，thereisacertaingrimsatisfaction

inreadingthislastchapterandwatchingDenmanfacetoface，notwiththe

brokenexcusesandappealsofignorantandhelplesspeasants，butwitha

volleyedthunderthatsweptintospaceallhislawyer’sartificeandskill。

Justiceplaysstrangetricksuponmankind，butwhowillsaythatshehas

notherinspirations？

Onemoreincidenthastoberecordedinthetaleofsuppression。Theriots

wereover，butthefirescontinued。Intheautumnof1831Melbourne，ina

shamefulmoment，proposedaremedyborrowedfromtheevilpracticeswhich

aToryParliamenthadconsentedatlasttoforbid。Thesettingofspring

gunsandman-traps，thecommondeviceofgamepreservers，hadbeenmadea

misdemeanourin1826byanActofwhichSuffieldwastheauthor。Melbourne

nowproposedtoallowpersonswhoobtainedalicensefromtwomagistrates

toprotecttheirpropertybythesemeans。TheBillpassedtheHouseofLords，

andtheJournalsrecordthatitwasintroducedintheHouseofCommons，

butthere，letushopefromveryhorroratthethoughtofthismoralrelapse，

silentlyitdisappears。

WhenGreymetParliamentasPrimeMinisterhesaidthattheGovernment

recognisedtwoduties：thedutyoffindingaremedyforthedistressofthe

labourers，andthedutyofrepressingtheriotswithseverityandfirmness。

Wehaveseenhowtheriotsweresuppressed；wehavenowtoseewhatwasdone

towardsprovidingaremedy。Thissideofthepictureisscarcelylessmelancholy

thantheother；forwhenweturntothedebatesinParliamentweseeclearly

howhopelessitwastoexpectanysolutionofaneconomicproblemfromthe

legislatorsofthetime。Now，ifever，circumstanceshadforcedtheproblem

onthemindofParliament，andinsuchanemergencyasthismenmightbe

trustedtosayseriouslyandsincerelywhattheyhadtosuggest。Yetthe

debatesareamê；lé；eoffutilegeneralisations，overshadowed

bythedoctrinewhichGreyhimselflaiddownthat’allmattersrespecting

theamountofrentandtheextentoffarmswouldbemuchbetterregulated

bytheindividualswhowereimmediatelyinterestedthanbyanyCommittee

oftheirLordships。’Onepeergotintotroubleforblurtingoutthetruth

thattheriotshadraisedwages；anotherwouldcursemachineryasvigorously

asanylabourer；manyblamedthepastinattentionoftheHouseofLordsto

thelabourers’misery；andoneconsideredthefirstnecessityofthemoment

wastheimpeachmentofWellington。Twomenhadactualandser

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