"we have written to the Lord Chief Justice about it, and he has answered, that we must wait until he has instructions from the Cabinet." The question now seems to have been inoved from the Cabinet into Chancery.

In addition to this first seizure and removal of property from my premises in Fleet Street, another seizure was made in February, 1822, of all that I had again accumulated at that time, and many articles for which money had been taken from the Broker by the Sheriff on the former seizure. This was done, just at the time, that you entered office, Mr. Peel, and, I dare say, that you know something about it.

This second seizsure dispossessed me of the house and fixtures, and of a new stock in trade, just as I had surmounted the difficulties brought upon me by the first seizure, and had begun to obtain a second profitable business. This was done by the authority of some process, about the fines, from the Court of Exchequer, the particulars of which, it being but the minor evil, I never enquired. I know, that I lost the house and the stock, and that, by virtue of the lease by which I held it, the lessor can sue me for four hundred pounds when he pleases.

In addition to all this pain, and seizing of property; in addition to this, to me more than threefold payment of the fines of £1500, I have been kept two years in this Gaol beyond the three years to which I was sentenced; under the very modest pretence, on your part, that I do not apply those means, of which, I may now even legally say, that, I have been robbed, and, in the withholding of which, you must necessarily have been a participator.

I never had the means of paying my fines otherwise than they have been paid, having uniformly anticipated all re-turns of money in trade by the creation of stock. And if I could have paid them, or gotten them paid, in cash, at the first seizure, in 1819, I should, certainly, by this time, have been a very rich man, I should have gone on making a fortune, as rapid as ever did your father.

1.

I am, Sir, your prisoner.

RICHARD CARLILE.

TO MR. R. CARLILE, DORCHESTER GAOL.

Concluded from page 764.

O, ye credulous believers in soothsaying, and priestcraft, how easily are ye deceived, and misled by visionaries, impostors, and fanatics; analize but the accounts they give of themselves, and of their doings, and the film which renders you so purblind would presently drop from your eyes. What, in the nineteenth century, among a most thinking people, will the histories of astrologers go current? If so, when will mankind reject the conceits of visionaries, the tricks of jugglers, and cease to look upon the simple operations of nature, as marvellous and the effects of supernatural causes, or to suppose, effects produced, which exist only in imagination? It was time for the poor slaves of the last, the anvil, and the loom, to step forward and shame their brethren out of their conceit of university learning, God's annointed, oracle-mongers, casters of nativities, and juggling deceiv

ers.

My answerer proceeds to say: "Mr. Watson may ask, 1 " Why the moon attracts the waters?

2 " Why the planets revolve round their common centre? 3 "Why light is produced by the action of the sun?

4 " Why the universe itself was created? And should the philosophers fail in giving a satisfactory answer to these unreasonable questions, he may consider,

5 "As he says, EVERY science which he is unable to comprehend to be founded in error and kuavery."

I bave numbered the several parts of the foregoing paragraph for the sake of brevity in answering it.

1 I should not ask the first question, because water being a fluid element, being in the moon, as is reasonably imagined superabundant, and as one element has a chemical affinity towards particles of the same element, there is a natural disposition during the rotatory motion of the earth, in the waters of the sea nearest the moon to be attracted towards that satellite*.

*The attraction of the waters of the earth by the moon, and the existence of any water on the moon, are two points disputed by Sir Richard Phillips. For the particulars of which, I refer to

A

2 I should not ask the second question, because Newton has proved that it is a property of matter to gravitate to the centre, and this gives it, in spherical bodies, a revolving motion.

3 I should not ask the third question because it is known by observation, that it is the quality of fire to give light and to be most luminous, when its blaze or rays are reflected by translucent bodies, like the atmosphere of the globe.

4 I should not ask the fourth question, because the universe could not have been created; matter must always have existed in some way or other; the universe is matter ergo, the universe must always have existed. Matter is constantly in motion; it is constantly changing its position, the universe is matter ergo-the universe is constantly interchanging the positions of its identities. Nothing is stationary, all nature is in activity; the motion of matter, is the life of the universe and all minor things. So have I endeavoured with as little technicality as possibile to answer my answerer, and to make myself understood, without money and without price, without interest, or a desire of reward by persons of common sense, which is what I wish the astrologer to do, if their art really possesses the powers they declare, or if it really can be simplified.

5 I no where say, that every SCIENCE which I am unable to comprehend is founded in error and knavery, I am seldom so unqualified in my decisions-although I am perhaps as decisive in opinions as most persons.

But I think it very knavish in men to be taking money for soothsaying, and casting nativities, from their ignorant and deluded votaries, when there can be no utility in the knowledge imparted, or pretended to be imparted.

his Theory of the Universe: being modest enough to be very contentedly ignorant upon such subjects, as well as upon astrology.

I may also add, in reference to Mr. W.'s second paragraph, that Sir Richard disputes the whole of Newton's theory about gravitation, attraction and projectile forces: and Mr. Watson will find by due examination, that Newton has proved nothing decisive upon these heads.

I was not aware of the existence of a periodical work that advocated astrology, until I received this communication. I promise the astrologers, that I will brush up my ignorance, remove my modesty, and try if I cannot ask them some questions to the purpose in the course of a few weeks, since they are willing to answer all questions upon the subject of their science.

R. C.

In this respect, I class them with priests, who advance dogmas which have no foundation in truth and nature, who raise up ideal phantoms to work upon the feelings and fears, the better to fleece their superstitious, and credulous disciples.

In elucidation of his art, my answerer says, he " will take the nativity of his late majesty George the Third, the judgment of which will be given in the next," and what utility will there be in doing this? had the astrologers been truly loyal and patriotic and could have foretold by casting George's nativity, the events of his reign; they might probably have saved that perverse man from much disgrace, and the country from the separation of the States of America, much loss of wealth, a host of useful lives, and from the odium of fighting the battles of the Bourbons. Yet upon second thoughts, if men are under the controul of the planetary system, the old gentleman and his wicked advisers, ought to be pitied not blamed, for not only the events of the life of men, are said to be decided by the conjunction of planets, but it is pretended, that the most trivial circumstances of human life are dependant on their positions.

It is pretended for instance, that "mercury in cancer, signifies a person of low stature, of an indifferent, generally a pale, complexion," (are no blacks ever born under this aspect?) "black hair, thin face, sharp nose; in disposition, hasty, choleric, proud, conceited, ambitious of honor, inflexible, a braggart, and often addicted to contention."

Alas poor mortals, how insignificant are you rendered, between the astrologers and priests, between the operations of matter and spirit, Gods and planets.

Where is thy vaunted pre-eminence, O man! over the beasts of the field; the generous steed, the sagacious hound, or the lordly lion? Is not their instinct better than thy reason? If thy very disposition, acts, and will, are "bound fast in fate;" ignorance under such circumstances would be bliss, and, agreeable to the aforesaid Cornelius Aggrippa, the "sciences" all "vanity."

I am, Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

JAMES WATSON.

MR. ROBERT GOURLAY.

I HAVE been for some time wishing for a subject in which I could introduce this gentleman's name and case; and now he has furnished me with the opportunity. It will be recollected, that, in the last Session of Parliament, Mr. Gourlay assaulted or interrupted Mr. Brougham, in the lobby of the House of Commons: that, for so doing, he was ordered into the custody of the Serjeant at Arms: that, he remained in that custody until the prorogation of the Parliament: that, he was, on being liberated from that custody, sane and with ́out bond or accusation, immediately found to be insane by some Bow Street Police men; because, he was walking through the streets towards his lodgings with a friend quietly and orderly; that some medical men, who seem to make a traffic of this sort of villainy, swore to his insanity, which was an all sufficient proof of theirs, or some worse disease, moral and physical: that, under this swearing, the Bow Street Magistrate conspired with these villains, to commit him to the House of Correction: and that, he still remains a prisoner in the Cold Bath Fields Prison, most manfully refusing all compromise of the matter; in every sense of the word a prisoner of choice, with the exception, that, to be at liberty, he must compromise the matter by giving bail for good behaviour, which he can, but most worthily refuses to give. Such a man as this is a pearl of great value in a war with any kind of tyranny, and I say this with the more satisfaction; because, Mr. G. differs from myself as to the minutio of all great political questions.

This question, or Mr. Gourlay's case, concerns every honest man and woman in the country: me it concerns more particularly. Last year, there were all sorts of schemes going on to find me insane; but I baffled the Christian wretches, who were scheming the measure. When that son of a whore, Sturt, was sent by Eldon, Peel, and the Earl of Shaftesbury, to put the handcuffs upon me; before coming into my room, an alarm was sent through the Gaol among the prisoners, that Mr. Carlile was raving mad, and that the Sheriff, Magistrates, Gaoler, and Turnkeys were gone into his room with ropes to tie him down! The same evening, a man was ready to be sent off to Loudon, a smuggler, ́of the name of William Waters, and this man was furnished