John. By setting about to look for it in earnest where it is to be found. Now do pray, Tom, leave off spending your time and money in fretting after what the people will never get, and most likely would do them mischief if they did. Let us read over together the New Testament, the People's Charter, and judge for ourselves whether it is worth while for the working classes to throw that away for nothing but such rubbish as blustering and lying words. Tom. Well, John, I'll look in upon you to-night after I leave work. Sent by H. K. ON DEBT. MR. EDITOR,-There is a subject of great importance which has not been treated of in that valuable little work, "The Cottager's Monthly Visitor," for a length of time, and I hope the few words I have hastily put together as they have occurred to me, may lead a more able pen to take up the subject. I allude to the incurring of debts, which is, in my opinion, one of the crying sins of the present day, and surely sin, and of a deep dye, is by no means too harsh a term for it. The difficulties that have recently arisen and been so severely felt in the commercial world, affecting every grade of society, dependents and menials of every description, as well as monied men, have been considerably and dreadfully increased in many instances, by the amount of debts, incurred by those living beyond their actual means, and keeping up a false appearance or position in the world, acting in fact the part of decided hypocrites, though they would be astounded perhaps to suppose such a character applied to them. We need not, however, alas! seek for examples among the nominal rich or the elevated in rank, where it is lamentable such characters are too frequently found. The advice I wish to give is to those into whose hands this useful work is more likely to fall, and who sadly need admonition. Not the cottager and the poor man alone, but those of small and independent incomes, whose examples should be such as to benefit those around them, in order that their admonitions, when they are called upon to give them, in their offices of charity, may not recoil upon themselves as being still more required by them. Painful instances of this kind. have been too often witnessed, arising in a great measure, I am sure, from the want of a due sense of the sinfulness of incurring debts being felt by them as well as by the poor generally. It is also my firm opinion, that the tradesman would be doing a real act of charity, independent of the advantage to his own interest, by not giving credit to either rich or poor to any extent. "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another," is one of the precepts contained in holy writ, and surely there is no greater destroyer of love and concord than debt. "Lend your money to a friend, and you lose your money and your friend," is an old and very true proverb in proof. There is not a person that is not ready to cry out shame against a thief, whether as having been robbed himself or hearing of his depredations on others; and yet any such person would not scruple openly and deliberately to rob and pillage another, by running into debt with those whom they thereby often deprive of their sole means of existence and support for themselves and families; and also thereby doing a greater evil, I cannot but think, in the sight of God and towards man, than the petty thief or pilferer whose want has driven them to the act. In how many, indeed, in most cases, the promises and intention of payment rest on little more than mere words? Knowing that their debts are all the while increasing, and the means of paying, if they ever had any, daily diminishing in consequence; thus the landlord, or the tradesman, or both perhaps, suffer the loss entirely, or must be content with a few shillings in the pound; and depending on their trade or their houses for a livelihood, become in a great measure destitute, while the guilty party consider themselves, as it is termed, whitewashed of their difficulties. Of all payments, the poor man is most reckless of his rent, suffering it to run on, and run on even with indifference, if his baker's bill is paid regularly, never recollecting how much easier it is to pay. by little and little than to raise a large sum. One fault is after all at the bottom of this sinfulness of debt in all ranks, viz., a want of real sound principle, rectitude of character, and a determination not to be led away by self-indulgence, either as regards appetite and food, vanity in dress, or "keeping up appearances," so as to lead to the expenses exceeding by ever so little the income, or rather the amount of what may be spent. It was the advice of a very good man to his daughters, I believe Admiral Lord Collingwood, never to order or purchase, or even desire any thing, that they could not put their hand in their purse and pay for; and if such a resolution was once formed and kept, how much pain and misery, as well as distress of mind, would be prevented! Justice is one of the precepts powerfully enforced and admired in the Bible. How can that man be considered just, who is wilfully incurring debts? In our Saviour's parable of the unjust steward, is an instance how odious in his eyes, as well as in the sight of man, in those days were debts; and that imprisonment, and no less than the sacrifice of wife, and children, and property, was considered to be legally the undisputed right of the creditor. And again; to what sinful consequences do not debts lead? to deceit, lies, fraud, to any stratagem for concealment; to any excuse, even without the least foundation. Oh! would but my poorer brethren heed a few words of counsel, and resolve on avoiding to run in debt! Calamities may befal any one in the shape of sickness or accident. Pestilence may destroy, and trouble, sooner or later, may reach the most prosperous, if a wise God thinks fit so to order events; but let me assure them, that in such cases, their appeal will never be made in vain to their charitable neighbours, if it be not accompanied by a tale of a long running debt, which it is not possible to pay, and which will always appear against them, be their case ever so pitiful. And would, too, that those passing themselves for rich, by comparison would learn that a little self-denial, economy, prudence, and self-respect, began at once (let the cause of their straitened circumstances be what it may, and however frugal their lives, some difference may always be made), will not only prevent many feelings of remorse, but prevent many still greater deprivations and want of comforts, which must fall heavily at last, attended by the still severer trial of disgrace!-A Constant Reader. CHARTISM. (From the Berkshire Chronicle.) [The following letter was received by a highly respectable inhabitant of this town from the foreman of a large manufactory in London, and it so well expresses the right feeling which we cannot doubt prevails among a large portion of that intelligent class of our fellow-subjects, that we have great pleasure in giving it insertion.-ED. B. C. "London, April 12th, 1848. "My dear Sir,-I received your very kind letter with much pleasure, the more so in that your sentiments perfectly coincide with mine. It is a common but very erroneous opinion with many persons, that the term 'mechanic' is synonymous with republican; such may be the case in some instances, but it is not so with the industrious and respectable portion, who consider themselves, and justly too, as belonging to the middle classes. In these stirring times, when the peace of Europe is broken, and to aggravate the troubles of the Government, Ireland is in a state of rebellion, it becomes indeed every man, who is proud and thankful that he is an Englishman, to have for his motto, the Throne, the Constitution, the Altar, and our Homes,' and to be prepared to defend them one and all against a set of lawless beings who would reduce this happy country into a pandemonium like infidel France, for I firmly believe that their present condition and ultimate dreadful prospects are dispensations of the Most High-'Shall I not visit for these things?' saith He; and shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?' 6 "At the present critical time the eyes of Europe are fixed upon this country, which, if true to those great principles for which our forefathers bled, will, I trust, under Divine Providence, weather the storm. The determination of the Government, aided as it was by the majority of the people, was able to preserve the peace of the metropolis on Monday, and to strike terror into these misguided men; and although they threaten to reduce London to ashes, they will not find them at any time asleep, as in the event of any outbreak in the night the bells of the churches will toll, and then every good citizen must enrol himself with the conservators of the peace. No earthly government can be perfect, and much evil will creep in, but be it as it may, this is not the time for embarrassing it. Much distress, as I know, prevails, but that surely cannot be laid to their charge: however, the majority prefer the present state of things to the wild principles of a set of demagogues who have all to gain and nothing to lose. (The rest of the letter is occupied with private business.) (Sent by a Correspondent.) An American paper acknowledges the receipt of a one dollar note on a bank named. On the back of the note was written in a good hand, " Friends, take warning. This is the last dollar that I possess out of thirty thousand. The cause-whiskey and gin." We are afraid that there are some Englishmen who could give the same history of the "last shilling." NOTICES TO CORRESPONDENTS. We have received the communications of S. B.; M. B.; C. S.; a Churchman; a Layman; V. P.; L. M.; H. K.; and E. D. THERE is a promise from God in the Bible, "them that honour Me I will honour ;" and it might well be expected that so great a blessing would induce the whole world, that knows it, to enter upon the course which will lead them to realize it. To be honoured by God, is surely what every one would desire who believes in His power. The greater is the power of the kings of the earth, the more do their subjects desire to be honoured by them. He who is above them all has honours to bestow, which reach to heaven, and last to eternity; which no one will envy, and none can take away; which are real and solid, not empty and vain; which are not only ornamental, but necessary; and which never make a man proud, although they exalt him above angels. Those who honour God, shall have them all. In a world which denies and forsakes Him, we are not to think this easy to be done; but it is very easy to be understood. It is to have that deep devotion and reverence for God, which will lead us to uphold His honour among those we live with. If we honour Him ourselves, we shall always love to see Him honoured, and mourn to see Him neglected and forgotten. VOL. XXVIII. M |