adventurous　spirit；　done　the　most　to　distinguish　himself　and　it；
  did　not　blush　for　the　tremendous　audacity　of　having　so　come　between
  the　wind　and　his　nobility；　turned　an　airy　period　with　reference　to
  the　private　theatricals　at　Drury　Lane　Theatre。　　Now；　I　have　some
  slight　acquaintance　with　theatricals；　private　and　public；　and　I
  will　accept　that　figure　of　the　noble　lord。　　I　will　not　say　that　if
  I　wanted　to　form　a　company　of　Her　Majesty's　servants；　I　think　I
  should　know　where　to　put　my　hand　on　〃the　comic　old　gentleman；〃　nor；
  that　if　I　wanted　to　get　up　a　pantomime；　I　fancy　I　should　know　what
  establishment　to　go　to　for　the　tricks　and　changes；　also；　for　a　very
  considerable　host　of　supernumeraries；　to　trip　one　another　up　in
  that　contention　with　which　many　of　us　are　familiar；　both　on　these
  and　on　other　boards；　in　which　the　principal　objects　thrown　about
  are　loaves　and　fishes。　　But　I　will　try　to　give　the　noble　lord　the
  reason　for　these　private　theatricals；　and　the　reason　why；　however
  ardently　he　may　desire　to　ring　the　curtain　down　upon　them；　there　is
  not　the　faintest　present　hope　of　their　coming　to　a　conclusion。　　It
  is　this：…　The　public　theatricals　which　the　noble　lord　is　so
  condescending　as　to　manage　are　so　intolerably　bad；　the　machinery　is
  so　cumbrous；　the　parts　so　ill…distributed；　the　company　so　full　of
  〃walking　gentlemen；〃　the　managers　have　such　large　families；　and　are
  so　bent　upon　putting　those　families　into　what　is　theatrically
  called　〃first　business〃　…　not　because　of　their　aptitude　for　it；　but
  because　they　ARE　their　families；　that　we　find　ourselves　obliged　to
  organize　an　opposition。　　We　have　seen　the　COMEDY　OF　ERRORS　played
  so　dismally　like　a　tragedy　that　we　really　cannot　bear　it。　　We　are；
  therefore；　making　bold　to　get　up　the　SCHOOL　OF　REFORM；　and　we　hope；
  before　the　play　is　out；　to　improve　that　noble　lord　by　our
  performance　very　considerably。　　If　he　object　that　we　have　no　right
  to　improve　him　without　his　license；　we　venture　to　claim　that　right
  in　virtue　of　his　orchestra；　consisting　of　a　very　powerful　piper；
  whom　we　always　pay。
  Sir；　as　this　is　the　first　political　meeting　I　have　ever　attended；
  and　as　my　trade　and　calling　is　not　associated　with　politics；
  perhaps　it　may　be　useful　for　me　to　show　how　I　came　to　be　here；
  because　reasons　similar　to　those　which　have　influenced　me　may　still
  be　trembling　in　the　balance　in　the　minds　of　others。　　I　want　at　all
  times；　in　full　sincerity；　to　do　my　duty　by　my　countrymen。　　If　I
  feel　an　attachment　towards　them；　there　is　nothing　disinterested　or
  meritorious　in　that；　for　I　can　never　too　affectionately　remember
  the　confidence　and　friendship　that　they　have　long　reposed　in　me。
  My　sphere　of　action　…　which　I　shall　never　change　…　I　shall　never
  overstep；　further　than　this；　or　for　a　longer　period　than　I　do　to…
  night。　　By　literature　I　have　lived；　and　through　literature　I　have
  been　content　to　serve　my　country；　and　I　am　perfectly　well　aware
  that　I　cannot　serve　two　masters。　　In　my　sphere　of　action　I　have
  tried　to　understand　the　heavier　social　grievances；　and　to　help　to
  set　them　right。　　When　the　TIMES　newspaper　proved　its　then　almost
  incredible　case；　in　reference　to　the　ghastly　absurdity　of　that　vast
  labyrinth　of　misplaced　men　and　misdirected　things；　which　had　made
  England　unable　to　find　on　the　face　of　the　earth；　an　enemy　one…
  twentieth　part　so　potent　to　effect　the　misery　and　ruin　of　her　noble
  defenders　as　she　has　been　herself；　I　believe　that　the　gloomy
  silence　into　which　the　country　fell　was　by　far　the　darkest　aspect
  in　which　a　great　people　had　been　exhibited　for　many　years。　　With
  shame　and　indignation　lowering　among　all　classes　of　society；　and
  this　new　element　of　discord　piled　on　the　heaving　basis　of
  ignorance；　poverty　and　crime；　which　is　always　below　us　…　with
  little　adequate　expression　of　the　general　mind；　or　apparent
  understanding　of　the　general　mind；　in　Parliament　…　with　the
  machinery　of　Government　and　the　legislature　going　round　and　round；
  and　the　people　fallen　from　it　and　standing　aloof；　as　if　they　left
  it　to　its　last　remaining　function　of　destroying　itself；　when　it　had
  achieved　the　destruction　of　so　much　that　was　dear　to　them　…　I　did
  and　do　believe　that　the　only　wholesome　turn　affairs　so　menacing
  could　possibly　take；　was；　the　awaking　of　the　people；　the
  outspeaking　of　the　people；　the　uniting　of　the　people　in　all
  patriotism　and　loyalty　to　effect　a　great　peaceful　constitutional
  change　in　the　administration　of　their　own　affairs。　　At　such　a
  crisis　this　association　arose；　at　such　a　crisis　I　joined　it：
  considering　its　further　case　to　be　…　if　further　case　could　possibly
  be　needed　…　that　what　is　everybody's　business　is　nobody's　business；
  that　men　must　be　gregarious　in　good　citizenship　as　well　as　in　other
  things；　and　that　it　is　a　law　in　nature　that　there　must　be　a　centre
  of　attraction　for　particles　to　fly　to；　before　any　serviceable　body
  with　recognised　functions　can　come　into　existence。　　This
  association　has　arisen；　and　we　belong　to　it。　　What　are　the
  objections　to　it？　　I　have　heard　in　the　main　but　three；　which　I　will
  now　briefly　notice。　　It　is　said　that　it　is　proposed　by　this
  association　to　exercise　an　influence；　through　the　constituencies；
  on　the　House　of　Commons。　　I　have　not　the　least　hesitation　in　saying
  that　I　have　the　smallest　amount　of　faith　in　the　House　of　Commons　at
  present　existing　and　that　I　consider　the　exercise　of　such　influence
  highly　necessary　to　the　welfare　and　honour　of　this　country。　　I　was
  reading　no　later　than　yesterday　the　book　of　Mr。　Pepys；　which　is
  rather　a　favourite　of　mine；　in　which　he；　two　hundred　years　ago；
  writing　of　the　House　of　Commons；　says：
  〃My　cousin　Roger　Pepys　tells　me　that　it　is　matter　of　the　greatest
  grief　to　him　in　the　world　that　he　should　be　put　upon　this　trust　of
  being　a　Parliament　man；　because　he　says　nothing　is　done；　that　he
  can　see；　out　of　any　truth　and　sincerity；　but　mere　envy　and　design。〃
  Now；　how　it　comes　to　pass　that　after　two　hundred　years；　and　many
  years　after　a　Reform　Bill；　the　house　of　Commons　is　so　little
  changed；　I　will　not　stop　to　inquire。　　I　will　not　ask　how　it　happens
  that　bills　which　cramp　and　worry　the　people；　and　restrict　their
  scant　enjoyments；　are　so　easily　passed；　and　how　it　happens　that
  measures　for　their　real　interests　are　so　very　difficult　to　be　got
  through　Parliament。　　I　will　not　analyse　the　confined　air　of　the
  lobby；　or　reduce　to　their　primitive　gases　its　deadening　influences
  on　the　memory　of　that　Honourable　Member　who　was　once　a　candidate
  for　the　honour　of　your　…　and　my　…　independent　vote　and　interest。　　I
  will　not　ask　what　is　that　Secretarian　figure；　full　of
  blandishments；　standing　on　the　threshold；　with　its　finger　on　its
  lips。　　I　will　not　ask　how　it　comes　that　those　personal
  altercations；　involving　all　the　removes　and　definitions　of
  Shakespeare's　Touchstone　…　the　retort　courteous　…　the　quip　modest　…
  the　reply　churlish　…　the　reproof　valiant　…　the　countercheck
  quarrelsome　…　the　lie　circumstantial　and　the　lie　direct　…　are　of
  immeasurably　greater　interest　in　the　House　of　Commons　than　the
  health；　the　taxation；　and　the　education；　of　a　whole　people。　　I　will
  not　penetrate　into　the　mysteries　of　that　secret　chamber　in　which
  the　Bluebeard　of　Party　keeps　his　strangled　public　questions；　and
  with　regard　to　which；　when　he　gives　the　key　to　his　wife；　the　new
  comer；　he　strictly　charges　her　on　no　account　to　open　the　door。　　I
  will　merely　put　it　to　the　experience　of　everybody　here；　whether　the
  House　of　Commons　is　not　occasionally　a　little　hard　of　hearing；　a
  little　dim　of　sight；　a　little　slow　of　understanding；　and　whether；
  in　short；　it　is　not　in　a　sufficiency　invalided　state　to　require
  close　watching；　and　the　occasional　application　of　sharp　stimulants；
  and　whether　it　is　not　capable　of　considerable　improvement？　　I
  believe　that；　in　order　to　preserve　it　in　a　state　of　real　usefulness
  and　independence；　the　people　must　be　very　watchful　and　very　jealous
  of　it；　and　it　must　have　its　memory　jogged；　and　be　kept　awake　when
  it　happens　to　have　taken　too　much　Ministerial　narcotic；　it　must　be
  trotted　about；　and　must　be　bustled　and　pinched　in　a　friendly　way；
  as　is　the　usage　in　such　cases。　　I　hold　that　no　power　can　deprive　us
  of　the　right　to　administer　our　functions　as　a　body　comprising
  electors　from　all　parts　of　the　country；　associated　together　because
  their　country　is　dearer　to　them　than　drowsy　twaddle；　unmeaning
  routine；　or　worn…out　conventionalities。
  This　brings　me　to　objection　number　two。　　It　is　stated　that　this
  Association　sets　class　against　class。　　Is　this　so？　　（CRIES　OF
  〃No。〃）　　No；　it　finds　class　set　against　class；　and　seeks　to
  reconcile　them。　　I　wish　to　avoid　placing　in　opposition　those　two
  words　…　Aristocracy　and　People。　　I　am　one　who　can　believe　in　the
  virtues　and　uses　of　both；　and　would　not　on　any　account　deprive
  either　of　a　single　just　right　belonging　to　it。　　I　will　use；　instead
  of　these　words；　the　terms；　the　governors　and　the　governed。　　These
  two　bodies