Sketches of Reforms and Reformers, of Great Britain and Ireland

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 Ex...

In connection with the passage of the Reform bill, it is proper to notice one of the foremost Englishmen of this century--HENRY BROUGHAM. Nothing strikes one more forcibly in th...

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 Opini...

Further notice will now be taken of the liberal literature of England, after the French revolution. We can enter only on the borders of this large field. Since the modern "reviv...

The Literature of Freedom--The Liberal Literature of England--Periodicals--Edinburgh Review--Its Founders--Its Contributors--Its Standard and Style of Criticism--Its Influence--...

In examining a little further among the statesmen who opposed the continental policy of Mr. Pitt and his successors--though by no means intending to notice all who thus distingu...

Abolition of Negro Slavery--Canning's Resolutions of 1823--Insurrection in Demerara--"Missionary Smith's Case"--Immediate Abolition--Elizabeth Heyrick--O'Connell--Brougham's Cel...

Catholic Emancipation--Antiquity and Power of the Papal Church--Treaty of Limerick--Catholic Penal Code of Ireland--Opinions of Penn, Montesquieu, Burke, and Blackstone, concern...

Notices of some Prominent Abolitionists--T. Fowell Buxton--Zachary Macaulay--Joseph Sturge--William Allen--James Cropper--Joseph and Samuel Gurney--George William Alexander--Tho...

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 p...

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...

In tracing the foreign policy of Pitt, we have been led beyond the period of the great philanthropic achievement of 1806-7--the Abolition of the African Slave Trade. I shall not...

The father of Modern Law Reform was JEREMY BENTHAM. This singular person has been often sneered at by Americans, who knew nothing of him or his writings, except that he lived so...

It would do injustice to my own feelings and the facts of history, to leave it to be inferred, from my silence, that the Women of England have not furnished some of the brightes...

Before specially considering any one prominent Reform in English history, a general summary of events may be profitable. It will be _but_ a summary, preliminary to a more genera...

The poetic, fancy view of Ireland is a mountain nymph, with flowing garments, wavy ringlets, glowing countenance, enrapt eye, and Venus-like fingers, thrilling the strings of a...

FEARGUS O'CONNOR has been styled "The Great Chartist Leader." In advocating the cause, he has suffered for his imprudences, if not for his principles. He is made up in about equ...

In determining whether the policy which Pitt and his successors pursued towards France, from 1792 to 1815, was wise for England and beneficial to Europe, an American republican...

I took occasion in the last chapter to speak at some length of the trials of Tooke, Hardy, and others, for high treason, in 1794, and of the successful attack then made by Mr. E...

Every page of Ireland's history during the present century bears the name of DANIEL O'CONNELL. In many important respects he is the greatest of Irishmen. He occupied a first pla...

The first conflict between Englishmen and their rulers, to which I will now more particularly refer, is the sedition and treason trials, near the close of the last century; more...

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 an...

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...

On the death of Romilly, the leadership in the reformation of the criminal code devolved on Sir JAMES MACKINTOSH. At the election just before his decease, the liberal party larg...

Before specially considering Catholic Emancipation, I will notice two or three persons who participated in the long struggle which prepared the way for this great measure of rel...

The seasonable organization, steady progress, and signal triumph of The National Anti-Corn-Law League are attributable in a very large degree to the sagacity, ability, and coura...

The earliest mouth piece of Jeremy Bentham in Parliament, and his "middleman" with the public, was Sir SAMUEL ROMILLY. This accomplished lawyer, from the period he entered Parli...

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...

For centuries it was a settled maxim in England, that the only sure way to convert a heretic was to put him to death. All dominant sects have been persecutors in their turn. The...

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 Dis...

The People of the United States must ever be interested in the history of Great Britain. We have a common origin, and an identity of language; we hold similar religious opinions...

The King is the "Supreme Head of the Church," and appoints, through the chapters, the bishops, besides a great number of lesser dignitaries. The bishops license and ordain the i...

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...

The 10th of April, 1838, begun a new era in this philanthropic enterprise. On that day, Rev. THEOBALD MATHEW signed the pledge, took the lead of the Cork Temperance Society, and...

At the present hour, about two millions of Europeans, in the prime of manhood, are withdrawn from the arts of peace, to bear the sword and the musket, and hold themselves ready,...

In the foregoing chapters, I have endeavored to trace the rise and progress of the GREAT BRITISH PARTY OF REFORM, which, adopting such changes in principle and policy as experie...

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...

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 Opini...

The Literature of Freedom--The Liberal Literature of England--Periodicals--Edinburgh Review--Its Founders--Its Contributors--Its Standard and Style of Criticism--Its Influence--...

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 Ex...

Catholic Emancipation--Antiquity and Power of the Papal Church--Treaty of Limerick--Catholic Penal Code of Ireland--Opinions of Penn, Montesquieu, Burke, and Blackstone, concern...

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...

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 an...

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...

Abolition of Negro Slavery--Canning's Resolutions of 1823--Insurrection in Demerara--"Missionary Smith's Case"--Immediate Abolition--Elizabeth Heyrick--O'Connell--Brougham's Cel...

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...

Notices of some Prominent Abolitionists--T. Fowell Buxton--Zachary Macaulay--Joseph Sturge--William Allen--James Cropper--Joseph and Samuel Gurney--George William Alexander--Tho...

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 P...

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 Dis...