The rise, progress, and phases of human slavery: How it came into the world and how it shall be made to go outO'Brien, James Bronterre
History
The rise, progress, and phases of human slavery: How it came into the world and how it shall be made to go out
O'Brien, James Bronterre
Labor; Labor movement; Slavery; Social problems; Working class
These views, we rejoice to say, are making way in all quarters, high
and low. Mr. Isaac Buchanan (formerly President of the Boards of Trade
of Toronto and Hamilton in Canada, and who represented the metropolis
of Upper Canada in the Canadian parliament) has boldly demanded
that all connection shall cease between the National Debt and her
Majesty’s Exchequer, in a pamphlet issued by him, entitled “The Moral
Consequences of Sir Robert Peel’s Unprincipled and Fatal Course,”
&c. The same view is taken by the democrats of Ireland, and has been
successfully promulgated at sundry Chartist meetings in town and
country. By-and-by it will be the creed of all classes, as well as of
the Chartists and National Reform League.
But while we insist that the owners of realised property shall be
held solely responsible for the National Debt, we assert that justice
to them demands that the debt be equitably adjusted for them before
they are called upon to liquidate it. Peel’s monetary and free-trade
measures have more than doubled the debt. We say nothing of the
£27,000,000 which our “reformed” parliament has added of late years to
the debt; let that pass. We speak of the change made in the value of
money by the Act of 1819, restoring cash payments; and of the complete
revolution in prices effected by the tariff and corn-law repeal. These
measures have more than doubled the value of the pound sterling, and
more than trebled the original value of Consols. For example, the
average price paid for £100 stock in the 3 per Cents. during the war
was £60 of depreciated bank paper, worth then only £40 in silver. The
holder of that stock is now entitled to receive ninety-seven sovereigns
for it. Every individual pound of the £60, at the time it was lent,
would only buy one-fourth of a quarter of wheat. Every pound paid back
now will buy more than half a quarter--more than twice as much. It will
buy more than three times as much of London or Birmingham goods, and
more than four or five times as much of Manchester and Glasgow goods.
Here, then, we have the value of the pound more than doubled, on the
one hand; and, on the other, we find the fundholder entitled to receive
£97 for every £60 he lent in rags! Combine these two alterations: mark
their conjoint effect in favour of the public creditor. Observe the
difference to him of going into market with ninety-seven sovereigns
wherewith to buy wheat at less than 40s. and going with only sixty rags
to buy wheat at upwards of 80s. (the average price during the war, when
he lent his money); and then bear in mind that what is clear gain to
him is so much clear loss to us, the taxpayers. The difference is, in
fact, so much downright plunder taken from the industrious and given
to the idle and useless.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account