"Mr. Cobbett rose to object to the resolution. He saw no reason why the sum of £16,000 should be paid out of the general taxes of the country for the sake of supporting the British Museum. In former times, when Mr. Bankes superintended the expenditure of the British Museum, the grant to it did not exceed £10,000. Then he thought the grant unjust, and now he could not imagine why, in the present distressed condition of the country, it should be raised to £16,000: for when was the British Museum of the slightest use to the country at large? Last year there was £1000 paid for a collection of insects; what use could that collection be of to the weavers of Lancashire, or to the farmers and tradesmen of distant parts of the country? The plain fact was that the British Museum was of no use at all! It was a place to which curious persons went to entertain themselves, by gratifying their curiosity, and in which the rich were accustomed to lounge away their time at the expense of their poorer countrymen. For his own part, he did not know where the British Museum was (much laughter), and was not acquainted with its contents. He thought that this sum of £16,000, granted by the Committee, was just £16,000 thrown away for the gratification of a set of loungers, who had first taken care to get enough out of the taxes to enable them to lounge away the rest of their lives in complete idleness. He also objected to this grant because there was £10,000 of it, and more, paid away in salaries, and to whom? If a list of the parties to whom those salaries were paid were laid upon the table of the House—and he would undertake to say that it should shortly be laid there—it would be found that they were paid away to the aristocracy and their dependents. He would move for a list of those who received them." (Several voices: "The list is published already.") "Who, he should like to know, were the maids who swept out the rooms of the British Museum? Doubtless they were the daughters of the head officers of the establishment. He would say that a more scandalous job than this grant never disgraced this Government, and that was saying a great deal. (Laughter.) He should conclude by moving that this report be recommitted."
Of course no one was on his side, and the grant was passed.
From April to July this year influenza was very prevalent, sparing neither rank, age, nor sex. It was not a new disease, for it was known in 1580, when it preceded the plague; in 1658, it was followed by a fatal epidemic fever; in 1743 by the plague; in 1762 by violent dysentery; in 1813, by ophthalmia and dysentery, and in 1831 by the cholera. The Medical Gazette, of May 5th, says—
"As to the rest, so far as regards the metropolis, the influenza has been plague enough, without looking for another. It has been a hundred-fold more prevalent than cholera was, and we are inclined to believe has proved fatal, within the last fortnight, to a greater number of persons than that disease carried off in London within an equal period. Certainly this holds good with respect to the upper and middle classes of society, among whom a large number of aged persons have fallen victims to it. The increased mortality of the metropolis during the present epidemic, is strikingly exemplified by the weekly account of burials. That ending April 16th exhibits an increase over the preceding of 266; that ending April 23rd, another increase upon the above of 209; that of May 1st, a further increase of 165; making the entire increase in the number of funerals last week equal to 640; and this, too, within the limits of the Bills of Mortality. The epidemic is now, however, rapidly on the decline, though a considerable number of relapses have occurred, and many continue to linger under its effects."
It spread both to Ireland and Scotland, but ceased about July.
On April 30th, an attempt to repeal the House and Window Tax was made, but was not successful. The window tax was especially obnoxious, as it led to keeping out light and fresh air from rooms that sadly needed both, and it lingered on until July 24, 1851, when it was repealed by Act 14 & 15 Vict. c. 36, and a duty upon inhabited houses was levied in its place.
In this reign there could scarcely be political agitation without violence, and we find on May 13th, there was even murder committed. The following account is taken from the Annual Register, as being more condensed than the newspaper reports:—
"Political Meeting and Murder.
"For some days placards had been posted up, addressed to the members of the political unions, calling a public meeting, to be held in Calthorpe Street, Coldbath Fields, preparatory to forming a National Convention. A proclamation had been issued from the Home Office, prohibiting the meeting as being illegal. It was held, nevertheless, on the 13th. The hour appointed for the meeting was two o'clock, but the populace had been assembling for three hours previously. Shortly after twelve o'clock strong detachments of the metropolitan police marched into the neighbourhood, and took up their quarters in the riding school of the London Volunteers, and the several livery stables in the vicinity. Colonel Rowan and Mr. Mayne, the two Commissioners, had previously arrived, and were accommodated at a house in the neighbourhood, attended by two clerks. A magistrate of Hatton Garden office was stationed in the House of Correction, as were also other magistrates, and a strong body of the police force. Two officers of the 1st Regiment of Life Guards were on the spot, in plain clothes, keeping up a constant communication with their regiment, a detachment of which was under arms, and ready at a moment's notice.
"Matters remained in this state till near two o'clock, by which time the number of people had greatly increased, and there were between three thousand and four thousand present. During this time the committee, consisting of six individuals, were holding their council at the Union public-house, Bagnigge Wells, and some discussion arose between them, as to which of them should ascend the hustings first. A young man named James Lee undertook to open the proceedings by proposing a person to fill the chair. Shortly before three o'clock a caravan, which had been engaged for the purpose, took its station. Lee jumped into it, followed by a person named Mee, and several others. Lee waved his hat several times, which was answered by the shouts of the assembly. The owner of the van, however, did not like the appearance of things, and instantly drove off, the committee jumping out of the caravan. Lee was then carried on the shoulders of some of the mob, to the railings, and proposed that Mr. Mee should take the chair, which, being seconded, Mr. Mee stood up and addressed the meeting, calling upon those present to beware of those hirelings of the Government who were paid to induce them to commit a breach of the peace. The Union, who had been anxiously expected all the morning, at this moment made their appearance, and the acclamations of the populace were deafening. The Union consisted of about a hundred and fifty persons, and the banners carried were, 'Liberty or death,' with a skull and cross-bones on a black ground, with a red border; 'Holy Alliance of the Working Classes;' 'Equal Rights and Equal Justice;' a Tricoloured flag; the republican flag of America; and a pole with the cap of Liberty.