Chapter I: Preface

This Book aims to give a summary view of the most important general Reforms, which have been effected or attempted in Great Britain and Ireland, from the period of the French revolution down to the present time. Neither history nor biography has been attempted, but the work aspires to be only what its title indicates--_Sketches_. Large parts of it have recently appeared, from time to time, in the _National Era_, of Washington; no expectation being then entertained that it would assume any other form of publication. The present occasion has been embraced to revise and reaerrange the whole, and by condensation and pruning off repetitions, to make room for considerable additions to the list of subjects discussed, and individuals noticed. It is even now incomplete, many men and things, which deserve a place here, being left out--some because I may underrate their relative importance--others because the limits of this work will allow only of selections. Still, it is believed that no important subject has been wholly omitted; though, on account of the vast number of those worthy to be called Reformers, it has been found impossible to make special mention of many able and excellent individuals. Though it may contain errors of fact and opinion, yet, as it is confined to those phases of events, and incidents in the lives of persons, which history too seldom dwells upon, it may be found not wholly valueless to those who would examine the most interesting and instructive period in the recent annals of England.

The chronological plan of the work is, generally, to notice prominent popular movements in their order of time, and, in connection with each, to give sketches, more or less full, of persons who bore a leading part in it. But such slight regard has been paid to chronological arrangement, that each subject stands by itself, having only a general connection with what precedes or follows it.

As to my statistics, I have occasionally been compelled to reach conclusions much in the same manner as juries agree upon verdicts--consult a dozen authorities, each one differing with all the others--get the sum total of the whole, divide it by twelve, and adopt the result.

This Book is submitted to the reader as an humble attempt to make some of the Reformers of America better acquainted with some of the Reformers of the Old World--to show that the Anglo-Saxon love of liberty, which inspires so many hearts on both sides of the Atlantic, flows from the same kindred fountain--to prove that, though when measured by her own vaunted standards, Great Britain is one of the most oppressive and despicable Governments on earth, her radical reformers constitute as noble a band of democratic philanthropists as the world has ever seen--to induce candid Americans to make just discriminations in their estimate of "England and the English," and to draw distinctions between the privileged orders of that country and a small, but increasing, and even now powerful body of its people, who admire the free institutions of the United States, and are laboring with heroic constancy, and a zeal tempered with discretion, to secure for themselves and their fellow-subjects the rights and privileges enjoyed by trans-Atlantic republicans,--and, finally, to record my admiration of those rare and true men, who, during the past half century, and while struggling against difficulties and enduring persecutions, of which we have but the faintest conceptions, have achieved so much for the cause of Humanity and Freedom.

H. B. S.

SENECA FALLS, N. Y., October, 1849.

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory--The "Condition of England" Question 13

CHAPTER II.

British Cabinets from 1770 to 1830--Summary of the Efforts of
the Reformers, from the War of 1793 to the Formation of the
Grey Ministry in 1830 20

CHAPTER III.

Treason Trials of 1794--Societies for Reform--Constructive
Treason--Horne
Tooke--Mr. Erskine 31

CHAPTER IV.

Constructive Treason--The Law of Libel and Sedition--The Dean
of St. Asaph--The Rights of Juries--Erskine--Fox--Pitt 41

CHAPTER V.

The French Revolution--The Continental Policy of Mr. Pitt--The
Policy of Mr. Fox and his Followers--The Continental
Wars--Mr. Sheridan--Mr. Burke--Mr. Perceval 51

CHAPTER VI.

Pitt's Continental Policy--Mr. Tierney--Mr. Whitbread--Lord
Castlereagh--Lord Liverpool--Mr. Canning 62

CHAPTER VII.

Abolition of the African Slave Trade--Granville
Sharpe--Wilberforce--Pitt--Stephen--Macaulay--Brougham 76

CHAPTER VIII.

Law Reform--Jeremy Bentham--His Opinion of the Common Law--His
"Felicity" Principle--His Universal Code--His Works--The
Fruits of his Labors--His Talents and Character 87

CHAPTER IX.

Law Reform--The Penal Code of England--Its Barbarity--The
Death-Penalty--Sir Samuel Romilly--His Efforts to Abolish
Capital Punishment--His Talents and Character 98

CHAPTER X.

Law Reform--The Penal Code--Restriction of the Penalty of
Death in 1823-4--Appointment of Commissioners to Reform the
Civil Law in 1828-9--Sir James Mackintosh--Brougham--Robert
Hall 107

CHAPTER XI.

Religious Toleration--Eminent Nonconformists--The Puritans--Oliver
Cromwell--The Pilgrims--The Corporation and Test
Acts--Their Origin--Their Effects upon Dissenters and others--Their
Virtual Abandonment and Final Repeal--The first Triumph
of the Reformers 117

CHAPTER XII.

Ireland--The Causes of its Debasement--Dublin--Mementoes of
the Captivity of the Country--Movements toward Catholic
Emancipation--Its Early Champions--Mr. Grattan--Mr.
Plunkett--Reverend
Sydney Smith 125

CHAPTER XIII.

Catholic Emancipation--Antiquity and Power of the Papal
Church--Treaty
of Limerick--Catholic Penal Code of Ireland--Opinions
of Penn, Montesquieu, Burke, and Blackstone, concerning
it--Its Amelioration--Catholic Association of 1823--The
Hour and the Man--Daniel O'Connell elected for Clare--Alarm
in Downing Street--Duke of Wellington's Decision--Passage
of the Emancipation Bill--Services of O'Connell and
Shiel--The latter as an Orator 134

CHAPTER XIV.

Movements toward Parliamentary Reform--John Cartwright--The
Father of Parliamentary Reform--His Account of the
Trials of Hardy and Tooke--Lord Byron's Eulogium of him--His
Opinions of the Slave Trade--The First English Advocate
of the Ballot--His Conviction for Conspiracy--His Labors for
Grecian and Mexican Independence--William Cobbett--His
Character, Opinions, and Services--His Style of Writing--His
Great Influence with the Middling and Lower Orders of England--Sir
Francis Burdett--His Labors for Reform--His Recantation 147

CHAPTER XV.

Parliamentary Reform--Old House of Commons--Rotten Boroughs--Old
Sarum--French Revolution of 1830--Rally for
Reform--Wellington Resigns--Grey in Power--Ministerial
Bill Defeated--New Parliament Summoned--Commons Pass
the Bill--Brougham's Speech in Lords--Peers Throw out the
Bill--Mrs. Partington--Riots--Again Bill Passed by Commons
and again Defeated by Peers--Ministers Resign--Are Recalled--The
Bill becomes a Law 164

CHAPTER XVI.

Henry Lord Brougham--His Life, Services and Character 176

CHAPTER XVII.

Charles, Earl Grey--Advocates Abolition of the Slave Trade--His
Rise to Power--His Aid in Carrying the Reform Bill--Sydney
Smith's Eulogy--His Two Great Measures, Parliamentary
Reform and Abolition of Slavery--The Old and New
Whigs--The "Coming Man" 193

CHAPTER XVIII.

Abolition of Negro Slavery--Canning's Resolutions of
1823--Insurrection
in Demerara--"Missionary Smith's Case"--Immediate
Abolition--Elizabeth Heyrick--O'Connell--Brougham's
Celebrated Speech of 1830--Insurrection and Anarchy in Jamaica,
in 1832--William Knibb--Parliamentary Inquiry--Buxton--The
Apprenticeship Adopted, August, 1833--Result
of Complete Emancipation in Antigua--The Apprenticeship
Doomed--The Colonies themselves Terminate it, August 1,
1838 199

CHAPTER XIX.

Notices of some Prominent Abolitionists--T. Fowell Buxton--Zachary
Macaulay--Joseph Sturge--William Allen--James
Cropper--Joseph and Samuel Gurney--George William Alexander--Thomas
Pringle--Charles Stuart--John Scoble--George
Thompson--Rev. Dr. Thomson--Rev. Dr. Wardlaw--Rev.
Dr. Ritchie--Rev. Mr. James--Rev. Messrs. Hinton,
Brock, Bevan, and Burnet 213

CHAPTER XX

British India--Clive and Hastings--East India Company--Its
Oppressions and Extortions--Land Tax--Monopolies--Forced
Labor and Purveyance--Taxes on Idolatry--Amount of Revenue
Extorted--Slavery in India--Famine and Pestilence--The
Courts--Rajah of Sattara--Abolition of Indian Slavery--British
India Society--General Briggs--William Howitt--George
Thompson as an Orator--Lord Brougham's Opinion--Mr.
Thompson's Anti-Slavery Career--His Visit to India--His
Defense of the Rajah--Advocates Corn-Law Repeal--Is
Elected to Parliament 227

CHAPTER XXI.

Cheap Postage--Rowland Hill--His Plan Proposed in 1837--Comparison
of the Old and New Systems--Joshua Leavitt--Money-Orders,
Stamps, and Envelopes--The Free Delivery--London
District Post--Mr. Hume--Unjust Treatment of Mr. Hill
by the Government--The National Testimonial 246

CHAPTER XXII.

Disruption of the State Church of Scotland--Its Causes--The
Veto Act of the Assembly of 1834--Mr. Young Presented to
the Church of Auchterarder--Is Vetoed by the Communicants
and Rejected by the Presbytery--Resort to the Civil Courts--The
Decision--Intrusionists and Non-Intrusionists--The Final
Secession of 1843--The Free Church--Dr. Chalmers--Dr.
Hill 254

CHAPTER XXIII.

The Established Church of England--Its Revenues--Its Ecclesiastical
Abuses--Its Sway over Political Parties--Rev. Dr. Phillpotts--Rev.
Dr. Pusey--Rev. Mr. Noel--Anti-State Church
Movement 264

CHAPTER XXIV.

The Corn Laws--Their Character and Policy--Origin of the
Anti-Corn-Law Movement--Adam Smith--Mr. Cobden--"Anti-Corn-Law
Parliament"--Mr. Villier's Motion in the House
of Commons in 1839--Formation of the League--Power of the
Landlords--Lord John Russell's Motion in 1841--General
Election of that Year--Mr. Cobden Returned to Parliament--Peel
in Power--His Modification of the Corn Laws--Great
Activity and Steady Progress of the League during the Years
1842, '3, '4, and '5--Session of 1846--Sir Robert Peel and the
Duke of Wellington--Repeal of the Corn Laws 271

CHAPTER XXV.

Notice of Corn-Law Repealers--Mr. Cobden--Mr. Bright--Colonel
Thompson--Mr. Villiers--Dr. Bowring--William J.
Fox--Ebenezer Elliott--James Montgomery--Mr. Paulton--George
Wilson--The Last Meeting of the League 281

CHAPTER XXVI.

National Debt of Great Britain--Lavish Expenditures of the
Government--Its Enormous Taxes--Will the Debt be Repudiated?--Will
it Occasion a Revolution?--Plan of Mr. Ricardo to Pay the Debt--
Mr. Hume's Efforts at Retrenchment 290

CHAPTER XXVII.

Defects of the Reform Bill--Origin of Chartism--The "People's
Charter" Promulgated in 1838--The Riots of 1839 and 1842--The
Vengeance of the Government falls on O'Connor, Lovett,
Collins, Vincent, J. B. O'Brien and Cooper--The Nonconformist
Newspaper Established by Mr. Miall--Mr. Sturge--Organization
of the Complete Suffrage Union--Character of the
Chartists 302

CHAPTER XXVIII.

Chartists and Complete Suffragists--Feargus O'Connor--William
Lovett--John Collins--Henry Vincent--Thomas Cooper--Edward
Miall--Reverend Thomas Spencer 311

CHAPTER XXIX.

Ireland, her Condition and Prospects--The Causes of her
Misery--The Remedies for the Evils which Afflict her 322

CHAPTER XXX.

Life, Services, and Character of Daniel O'Connell 333

CHAPTER XXXI.

The Temperance Reformation--Father Mathew 343

CHAPTER XXXII.

International Peace--European Military Establishments--British
Establishment--Mr. Cobden--Peace Party in England--Peace
Congress in Paris--Elihu Burritt--Charles Sumner 346

CHAPTER XXXIII.

Mrs. Elizabeth Fry--Mrs. Amelia Opie--Lady Noel Byron--Miss
Harriet Martineau--Mrs. Mary Howitt 348

CHAPTER XXXIV.

The Literature of Freedom--The Liberal Literature of
England--Periodicals--Edinburgh
Review--Its Founders--Its Contributors--Its
Standard and Style of Criticism--Its Influence--London
Quarterly Review Started--Political Services of the
Edinburgh--Its Ecclesiastical Tone--Sydney Smith--Decline
of the Political Influence of the Edinburgh--Blackwood's
Magazine--Tait's
Magazine--Westminster Review--The Eclectic--The
New Monthly--The Weekly Press--Cobbett's Register--Hunt's
Examiner--Mr. Fonblanque--Mr. Landor--The
Spectator--Douglas Jerrold--Punch--People's and Howitt's
Journals--Mr. Howitt--Chambers' Journal--Penny Magazine
and Cyclopedia 359

CHAPTER XXXV.

The Liberal Literature of England--Poetry--Southey--Coleridge--
Wordsworth--Burns--Rogers--Montgomery--Moore--Campbell--Herbert--
Byron--Shelley--Keats--Hunt--Pringle--Nicoll--Peter--Barton--
Hood--Procter--Tennyson--Milnes--Elliott--Horne--Mary
Howitt--Eliza Cook--Mackay--Novels--Godwin--Holcroft--The
Drama--Bage--Scott--Miss
Edgeworth--Mrs. Opie--Miss Mitford--Mrs. Hall--Miss
Martineau--Banim--Lever--Lover--Bulwer--Dickens--Essays--Jeffrey--
Smith--Brougham--Mackintosh--Macaulay--Lamb--Hazlitt--Carlyle--
Talfourd--Pamphlets--Holland
House--French Literature and Louis Philippe 374

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Conclusion 392

REFORMS AND REFORMERS.