Chartist Meeting

From 1838 to 1848 the London Working Men’s Association sponsored a People’s Charter demanding suffrage for all male citizens over age 21, a secret ballot, and other rights. An important part of the Chartist campaign was to hold large public meetings. These meetings gave great orators such as Feargus O’Connor and George Julian Harney the opportunity to persuade people to join the campaign for the charter. It was also a way of showing the government the scale of the support that there was for Chartism.

Some laws had been passed, but the condition of the working classes had not been improved, and no improvement seemed likely without a possession of political power. "Universal suffrage", said one of the Chartist speakers, "means for every working man a good coat, a good house, and a good dinner, work enough for health, and wages enough for plenty". With this belief in their heads, no won­der that the number of the Chartists grew rapidly.

A petition in favour of their demands, signed by more than a million (1,250,000) persons, was presented to Parliament in 1839, but it was at once rejected. Serious riots followed. Birmingham was sacked by the rioters; and in Newport, in Monmouthshire, an armed mob was only beaten off with difficulty, and a number of people was killed by the military.

There were some poets among the Chartists, the most important of them was Ernest Jones, who wrote such poems as "Prison Bars" (1848), "The Silent Cell" (1851), "Liberty" (1851), "Bread" (1851), etc. Most of the poems by Chartists were published in their newspaper. Other Chartist poets were William James Linton, Allen Davenport, Thomas Cooper and some more. There were also many anonymous poems. They all spoke of life of poor people, of strife for a better existence. There was a popular song in 1840 "The Judges are going to Jail":

"Hurrah for the masses,

The lawyers are asses,

Their gammon and spinach is stale!

The law is illegal,

The Commons are regal,

And the judges are going to jail,

Hurrah for the masses!" — etc. (Anon.)

From another anonymous song:

"Swearing death to tyrant king,

Heaven guards the patriot heart;

Join'd in hand and heart we'll sing,

Vive la Charte, vive la Charte!"

There are "recommendations": "How to be a Great Lord"

"Would you be a Great Lord? Let me show you the way;

Too Proud to be honest, a debt never pay;

Roast a child for your sport, set the hamlet on fire,

Then cut down with your sword both the sun and the fire;

A terrible Colonel now bully and swagger,

And plant in the heart of your country — a dagger", etc.

Liberty

"Thy birth-place, where, young Liberty?

In graves, 'mid heroes' ashes,

Thy dwelling, where, sweet Liberty?

In hearts, where free blood dashes.

Thy best hope, where, dear Liberty?

In fast upwinging time.

Thy first strength, where, proud Liberty?

In the oppressor's crime.

Thy safety, where, stray Liberty?

In lands, where discord cease.

Thy glory, where, bright Liberty?

In universal peace."

by Ernest Jones

Alongside of this revolutionary agitation, another movement of a more legal character was taking place. This was the movement in favour of a repeal of the Corn Laws, which began with the formation of the Anti-Corn-Law League, at Manchester, by Cob-den, Bright, and others, in 1838.

The members of this League said that the greatest obstacle to commercial progress was the high price of food. If food were cheaper, workers would be able to live on lower wages; thus the manufactures would be cheapened, and would have an advantage in the competition with foreign wares. And the consequence would be a great increase of British trade.

Naturally this movement was opposed by the landlords and other persons connected with agriculture. They received the name of "Protectionists", because they wished to protect British agricul­ture from the damage which could be done to it by the importation of cheap food from abroad. The Chartists, on their side, were also hostile to the Anti-Corn-Law League, because they thought that the Corn Laws would only enrich the manufacturers, while the working men would be no better off than before.

One of the first measures of Sir Robert Peel when he took office in 1841 was to modify the Corn Laws — the duty on for­eign corn was made to rise as the price of British corn fell, and to fall as the British prices rose. The object of this measure was to prevent bread from becoming too dear, but at the same time to keep the price up to a height at which it would pay the farmers to grow corn.

Peel was strongly convinced of the advantages of free trade. In 1843 he abolished at one stroke the duties on about four hundred and fifty kinds of import goods. All British goods could now be exported free, and almost all sorts of raw materials could be im­ported without paying any duty.

At last, in 1845 Ireland was visited with famine, consequent upon a bad harvest. It was the sufferings of the Irish which finally made Peel to propose a total repeal of the Corn Laws, although, as a matter of fact, he had already persuaded himself that free trade was vindicated by the marked increase of those articles of food on which he had relaxed the duties in 1842.

The Irish famine was, however, made the Whig leader, Lord John Russell, to begin the new policy. In November 1845, Peel declared himself a convert to the Anti-Corn-Law League. His col­leagues in the ministry at first refused to support him, but most of them agreed with him later. In January 1846 Peel brought in his proposal to repeal the laws imposing duties on foreign corn.

So strong was his influence that he was able to convert a large number of the Conservaty party to his views. Still, he could never have carried his measures without the support of the Whigs. The Protectionists resisted obstinately; but their opposition was gradu­ally overcome, and in June 1846 the Corn Laws were repealed, together with the duties on imported beef and mutton, and many other articles of food. This was Peel's last great work. Shortly afterwards he resigned (1846) — it was the revenge of the country party, who thought that Peel had betrayed them, and they drove him from office.

The financial policy of Peel was continued by Mr. Gladstone, William Ernest (1809-1898), then a member of the Conservative party but a leader of the "Peelites", as the Conservative free-traders were called.

Free trade may now be said to have been definitely established. The restrictive duties which prevented the commercial develop­ment had disappeared, and commerce became really free. The na­tional wealth had grown fast.

NAMES AND EXPRESSIONS

Tory appointments were made — т. е. на все должности были

назначены члены партии тори

far beyond that = far beyond the movement

no improvement seemed likely — похоже было, что никакие

перемены к лучшему невозможны

vive la charte — long live the Charte (French)

for your sport — для вашего удовольствия

'mid = amidst

Corn Laws — хлебные законы

would be no better off — не станут обеспечены лучше

could be exported free — могли быть экспортированы бес­пошлинно

free trade may now be said — теперь можно сказать о свободной (беспошлинной) торговле

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Дата добавления: 2015-11-16