Robert Peel; and, although a very large majority of the House of Commons awarded their support, posterity will pronounce the whole affair to be a bungling effort at delusion. It would have been well for his fame that Sir Robert Peel had let the Corn Laws, as well as the Emancipation Act, alone.

The "awful" admissions which Sir Robert Peel made with respect to the CAUSES of our manufacturing and commercial distress, call for more remark than I have space for in this letter. Next week, you shall have my thoughts thercon.

I am, your Prisoner,

RICHARD OASTLER.

P.S.-I am glad to find space for the continuation of my "Rent-Roll." June 19th-My kind friend, your old acquaintance, residing at Brompton, who often sends me tokens of esteem, brought me some beautiful flowers for my little window-garden. He also presented me with a quantity of most refreshing strawberries.

20th-My old friend, Charles Hindley, Esq., M.P., forgetting all political differences, called upon me, and kindly presented me with 107. 23rd-Could you have expected it? My old political opponent, Joshua Bower, Esq., of Hunslet, near Leeds, came and chatted with me in the most friendly and affectionate manner, and gave me a sovereign. I was ill, so my dear friend Underwood brought me a large basket of splendid grapes.

A friend whose kindnesses I can never forget, John Perceval, Esq., presented me with 37.

24th-Dear little Miss Beckham gave me an ornament for my mantel-piece. 28th-Mr. Manly, 84, Bartholomew Close, City, whom I had never seen before, gave me 28. 6d.

29th-Mr. Edward Hudson, Sheffield, who is personally unknown to me, sent me a sovereign, and the following kind letter:

"Sheffield, 29 June, 1841.

* *

"Dear Sir, I am sure there are few persons who could read your Fleet Papers, without commisserating with you on the hardships you have undergone. It is a pity that your admirers and friends do not come forward and subscribe a handsome sum to purchase an annuity for yourself and Mrs. Oastler: such liberality only wants a beginning to end in success. "Enclosed one sovereign, which I beg your acceptance of.

To Mr. Richard Oastler, Fleet Prison."

"I remain, dear Sir, yours truly,

EDWARD HUDSON."

June 29th-Mr. J. Summers, artist, Leeds, brought me 1lb. of Yorkshire butter, 1 lb. of coffee, and 1 lb. of tea. That good man often calls to chat with me.

30th-My friend indeed, Mr. Atkinson, sent me two bottles of excellent port. Such kindnesses as are shown to me, from all ranks and all parties, may well repay me for what I have suffered in the service of my master and my country. I shall continue my "Rent-Roll" when space offers itself.-R.O.

Printed by Vincent Torras & Co., 7, Palace Row, New Road, London.

Being Letters to

THOMAS THORNHILL, Esq.,

Of Riddlesworth, in the County of Norfolk;

FROM

RICHARD OASTLER,

His Prisoner in the Fleet.

WITH OCCASIONAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM FRIENDS.

"The Altar, the Throne, and the Cottage.”—“Property has its duties, as well as its rights." "The Husbandman that laboureth, must be first partaker of the fruits."

He shall judge the poor of the people, He shall save the children of the needy, and shall break in pieces the Oppressor."

VOL. II.-No. 12.

LONDON, SATURDAY, MARCH 19, 1842.

THOMAS THORNHILL, Esq.

PRICE 24.

The Fleet Prison.

SIR,-A week or two ago I had occasion to write to a dear old friend of mine, one whom I knew in what the world calls "better days." He is now the vicar of a parish in one of the midland counties-he is a wise and a good man. Not having heard from him for a long while, I told him that I supposed he, with very many others, disapproved of the course which my duty to my country compelled me to steer at the present crisis; and that that was the reason why he had so long kept silence. He replied as follows:

"It would be nonsense to intimate that I had not as much time as yourself for correspondence. It has not been for want of time or inclination, but from a sense of propriety, that I have not troubled you with letters.

"The crisis had arrived when I felt it was incumbent to write a few words; and I had my pen in my hand for that purpose, and my scissars too, when your letter arrived.

"I had been reading your Fleet Papers concerning Free Trade'; I took up the Examiner, and my eye caught the paragraph which I have cut out for you, as entirely applicable to yourself and the position which you are now occupying. Here it is-let it stand as your motto in the Fleeters: "If I might give a short hint to an impartial writer, it would be to tell him his fate. If he resolves to venture upon the dangerous precipice of telling unbiassed truth, let him proclaim war with mankind à la mode le pays de Pole-neither to give nor to take quarter. If he tells the crimes of great men, they fall upon him with the iron hands of the law; if he tells their virtues, when they have any, then the mob attacks him with slander. But if he regards truth, let him expect martyrdom on both sides, and then he may go on fearless; and this is the course I take myself.—De Foe.'

"You are wrong in supposing that I do not agree with you in the course you are pursuing. I do most emphatically agree with you concerning Free Trade, Emigration, Poor Laws, &c. I fear 'Sir Robert Peel does not.

"You are quite sure if I should see anything in the Fleet Papers which I did not approve, that my inviolable friendship would induce me immediately to mention it.

"I am glad to hear you are in such good health and spirits. It is quite marvellous, and thanks be to God for it.

"I am VERY ANXIOUS to know how the national subscription goes on. Meetings should be held in Huddersfield, Halifax, Bradford, Leeds, Manchester, &c. Your acting friends should work while it is day, i. e. whilst the sun shines. Weekly notices should be given in the Fleeters. Indeed, I think the first page should be occupied with the address and the amount of subscriptions received. Do think of this.

"The insertion of the subscription list need not come from you, which I know would be disagreeable to you. It might be headed, The Committee beg leave to lay before the public their address and the list of subscriptions,' &c.

"Your ever faithful friend,

Respecting the latter part of my Rev. friend's letter, I have only to say, that any space in the Fleet Papers which is required by my kind friends who have shown me so much favour, is always at their command.

My object in communicating the former part of my friend's letter is, to introduce a few remarks on a subject which I find is, at this moment, giving pain to many of my friends.

I am thought to be unwise at the present crisis, because I have resolved to bear witness to the truth, when a bold assertion of the principles, which I have unwavering maintained, is unpalatable to many who are otherwise disposed to be my friends; and I am assured that the avowal of my principles will, at this juncture, be injurious to what is termed my interest.

Now, Sir, it is, it must always be painful to grieve those who are anxious to befriend me; but it would be unbearable to offend my conscience.

Were I now to hold my peace, and, without a warning, witness the demolition of all my hopes-permit the enemies of my country, in silence, to insure her ruin, and watch, without a murmur, the progress of Infidel innovation, dismantling still further the bulwarks of the Constitution, rivetting the chains of tyranny still faster upon the labourers and artisans of England, by undermining the Christianity of our institutions; although, by thus betraying the confidence reposed in me by hundreds of thousands of the poor, I might obtain favour in the eyes of many rich, I should despise myself - I should disappoint the hopes of the poor, whose love and prayers are dearer far to me than earthly treasures; and although riches and liberty might be my reward, and I should receive honour from the great, the fetters of slavery would encircle my mind, and I should be poor indeed without the approving smiles of my conscience, without the blessing of my God. The possession of these inestimable blessings teaches me to dread neither the ridicule nor the anger of the world.

Painful as the sacrifice is thus to run counter to the wishes of my kind and benevolent friends, I prefer imprisonment and poverty, and, if it should be, neglect, contempt, and undeserved disgrace, with a mind unfettered, an approv-ing conscience, the prayers of the poor, and an ever sustaining God, to liberty and wealth, and crowds of wealthy friends, with the abandonment of my principles, the neglect of my duty, the curse of my God, and the sacrifice of that course of policy on which the safety of my country depends.

If I offend those whom I honour and revere by the bold and candid avowal of my sentiments, they must remember that there is such a thing as consistency of principle, that prison walls cannot confine the influence of truth, and that it is not obstinacy to defend her at every risk.

I have counted the cost-I am willing to bear your unprovoked hostility -I know that that which is best for me will be my portion; my God will sustain me in every trial He will withhold no good thing from me. He may

suffer my enemies, for awhile, seemingly to triumph over me, but the morning will eventually dawn, and in a way which is marvellous to man-He will assert and maintain the power of His truth.

Not many days ago I received a letter from one most dear to me. I thought that I had, in a former epistle, discovered a symptom of sorrow which I was loath should sadden that heart. I strove to comfort, to soothe, and to re-animate my dearest friend. I entreated her to be strong and not to faint "not to be miserable on my account."

I urged her

Her reply was such as left me no doubt that she would be strengthened and sustained. You cannot be offended if I select a portion of it for your perusal. The time may come when you will need such counsel and such faith. 'Twasthus that she addressed me:

"If you are only well and happy, then I cannot be 'miserable'-in fact, I am never ‘ miserable.' But when I talk to you about your being in the Fleet, you never seem to understand me. My rest is in the Divine Will-I am content with what God appoints; and when He opens the prison-door for you, my heart will indeed rejoice. If such feelings are grievous to you, why then I cannot help it. But my mind is ever strongly impressed with this truth, that it is possible for us to step out of the Divine order, and we are in continual danger of doing this, if we neglect, in anything, to ask counsel of God. I am not alluding to any particular circumstances, nevertheless, I continually possess such a strong conviction of the guilt incurred and the loss sustained by not earnestly seeking wisdom and strength from above, as leads me more and more to distrust myself in everything, and to search the Scriptures diligently with prayer and supplication that I may not only know, but, through the Holy Spirit, be enabled to do the will of God on earth.

46

I never felt the immense value of the Bible as I now do. I am daily led to a more actual dependence upon the written Word-'It is the sure Word of prophecy,' 'A light in a dark place.' Whatever my own state of mind may be, however my feelings ebb and flow, however prosperous or untoward circumstances and events appear to be, I rest on this, that God is the same-He changeth not-and His word abideth for ever. I fully and heartily believe all which He hath spoken -His precepts, His warnings, His threatenings, and His promises, are all true, and all, all shall be assuredly fulfilled.

"When I read that you were to be removed to the Queen's Bench,* I could not repress the momentary sigh; but I instantly recovered myself, for I know it is well, and I trust it will prove a blessing (though it may be in disguise) to each of us, both now and hereafter.

"I find a continued and sweet repose in the wisdom and love, the power and faithfulness of God. I more than ever rest on His Word, and find perfect contentment in His adorable Will. “I wonder that I should ever desire or seek my own way, since His is perfect. There are no mistakes in any of His counsels-His providences are deep and intricate, they are mysterious, we cannot comprehend them; but they are full of goodness, a mixture often of judgment and mercy, designed to produce in us the most wonderful and gracious effects, to make us happy and useful in this life, and inheritors of the kingdom of glory hereafter.

"It will be our fault if such should fail to be their fruit in us. May we be careful not only to run, but to obtain the prize.

"I cannot describe to you the feelings which at times pervade my mind, when I consider how cheap and plentiful the written Word of God now is, and how little it is regarded; nor the apprehension which at times fills my mind, that yet a little while and it shall be as scarce!-Like the Manna in the Wilderness, it is loathed and despised.

"But should the Key of Knowledge and of Eternal Life be taken away from this nation, should 'The Candlestick be removed,' what will men have to rely upon? No polar star then to guide them,

The bill now before Parliament for the centralization of the prisons, will soon remove us all to the Queen's Bench Prison.-R.O.

they will perish for lack of knowledge-no beacons to warn them, no promises to sustain and comfort them! They will blindly rush on to their ruin-they will sink into despair.

"I often think, what should I do without this blessed Book? May God write it yet more deeply. on the tablet of my heart. Impressions, visions, dreams, &c. are all uncertain, but GOD'S WORD IS TRUTH."

Yes, "God's Word Is Truth;" and while I am (being thus taught by my affectionate monitor to search therein for wisdom and strength,) enabled to read that Word, to believe in its doctrines, to embrace its principles, and to follow its precepts, although I may, by some who anxiously desire to benefit me, be accounted foolish and week, or by others head-strong and obstinate, I shall be at peace with myself, being sustained by Him whose "Word is Truth," and who will not suffer any evil to happen unto me. I know that "The cattle on a thousand hills are His," and that "The hearts of all men are in His hands." Could I have made merchandise of my principles, there would have been no need that I should be your prisoner. But I should not then have been so wise, so happy as I am here. In this place I have learned wisdom-in this prison I have found peace!

While I have been here, I have not been altogether useless to my country. I have had some little share in the overthrow of the Whigs. The change effected in the public mind respecting them, was not accomplished entirely without my aid the "majority of One" was not obtained without a helping hand from me. I have assisted in the defeat of those enemies of the poor, the cruel and unjust Leaguers, when, hoping to delude and betray them as aforetime, they have dared to face the people. The "absence of excitement," to which Sir Robert Peel alludes, has, in some measure, been aided by myself.

Had I ever abandoned my principles, and listened to the charmer Expediency, I should have been powerless against the enemies of my country.

The time is not far distant when " your order" will fall before its enemies, if Expediency shall not soon give place to Principle. I may perhaps be useful then.

It is very true, I have assisted in bringing the present Government to power; and I rejoiced at the victory thus gained over the proposers of the New Poor Law-the refusers of the Ten Hours' Factory Bill. I moreover hoped that Sir Robert Peel would have learned wisdom in the school of adversity; that he who had once destroyed the strongest party in the State, by listening to the spirit. of Expediency, would have seen his error, and, when again in office, that he would remember the cause of his fall, the reason why he was forced to fly before an enemy so base; and that he would hereafter, as he promised to do," Walk in the light of the Constitution."

I regret to have been deceived. Sir Robert Peel has declared his attachment to, and his determination to uphold the principles of that law which can never amalgamate with the Constitution, to continue those law-makers, who cannot exist with any Constitutional Government-I allude to the New Poor Law and the three New Poor Law Commissioners. I regret the fact, but it is true. Sir Robert Peel also (although, as far as the "agricultural interest" is concerned, he professes to be in favour of Protection,) has adopted a strong measure towards the establishment of Free Trade; and as to manufacture and commerce