Hogsflesh, James

My Lord
I humbly beg leave to claim a portion of your Lordships
indulgence, to a perusal of this Letter, and trust that
my presumption will be pardoned by your Lordship
on a consideration of the Circumstances of the Case in
Question _
Feeling an inclination to apply for a portion of the
Parliamentary grant, under your Lordships circular,
induced me to endeavour to get as much information as
possible, i heard much said at different times & places by
different Parties wishing to Emigrate, and i found the general
observation was that Government gave a decided preference
to the Capitalist, who has no just claim to the parliamentary
grant, whilst the Labouring Man for whose benefit it
professed to be intended, would lay at their mercy, knowing
a little of the state of the Public feeling, i could not help
observing that those observations was founded on prejudice
and a hostile feeling towards Government _
I attended a Meeting at the Crown & Anchor, Strand
last Monday evening, which was very numerously attended
and i beg your Lordships patient attention to the state of
the public feeling manifested there. I mixed amongst
the different parties who was talking over the subject,
and what i then heard respecting the proceedings of the
Capitalist, i must confess staggered my former Opinion and
impressed on my mind that the Capitalist who is generally
thought to be the bone of the Country, is now in reallity
striveing to be the only gainer, to get the whole of the fertile
Land in their possession, whilst the Labouring Men they
take out, under the most unjust and hard Contracts, will
have no Land, and be in a much worse situation than
he is at present in this Country, thus the Labouring
Man is made justly jealous of the Capitalist and is one
of the principal reasons for such numerous individuall
applications to your Lordship; another circumstance
I must not omit noticeing, Dr WATSON of Spa fields
notoriety, and a party of his reforming attendants was there
and seized on every unfavourable circumstance, or narrative
with avidity, to cry down the measure, representing it
as a most heinous crime of Government. Some of their
observations was, _ that the Emigrants would be stiffled
in the Vessels for want of room _ that they would be kept
on short Allowance _ that pretexts would be created to forfeit
a part of if not all of the 10 advanced _ that on landing they
would have to fight for every Inch of ground, and keep their
Arms continually in their hands to repress the incursions of