THE OPERATIVES' PARLIAMENT. 349 



fore. Each town or village elects representatives, who hold parlia- 

 ments which levy taxes, pass laws, print their proceedings, and per- 

 form all the duties of a House of Commons. In the pamphlet we 

 have alluded to there is a full report of the debate of a " Spinner's Par- 

 liament," held at Ramsay, in the Isle of Man, in 1829. The members 

 are called by the names of the places which they represent, with the 

 exception of two, named Doherty, the secretary, and Foster, an inter- 

 loper, an amateur parliament-man, who, like a true patriot, paid his 

 shot for his privilege. In the printed proceedings we find him men- 

 tioned thus : " It is but doing him justice to say, that his superior 

 talents -contributed very materially to facilitate the business of the 

 meeting." This tribute to the talent of the incipient legislator must 

 be consoling to Mr. Foster ; it will, doubtless, stimulate him to 

 bolder flights. Should aught in the course of events befal the learned 

 Doherty, a vacant secretaryship might reward patriotism and genius. 

 We cannot afford space for the whole debate we extract a portion 

 to show the style of a " Spinners' Parliament." When the numbers 

 1 and 2 occur, it is that the town elects more than one member of 

 parliament. It will be seen the gentlemen have an eye to business, 

 particularly when the cash is concerned. 



" Preston moved, and Manchester seconded That one grand general 

 union of all the operative spinners in the United Kingdom be now formed, 

 for the mutual support and protection of all. 



" Glasgow wished Mr. Foster or Mr. Doherty to state their views of this 

 very important question, as to how such a union ought to exist. 



" Mr. Foster said, that in his opinion there should be three committees, 

 one in each kingdom. He was sure that any other plan would not give 

 general satisfaction. Each nation should manage its own affairs, and keep 

 its own money." 



We should judge that the amateur was an Irishman, and a repealer; 

 we must confess our inability to discover how " one grand general 

 union of the three kingdoms" can be formed by each nation managing 

 its own affairs, and, as Mr. Foster very significantly adds, keeping its 

 own money. , 



" Johnstone 1 thought that one head would answer the purpose best. It 

 would hardly be possible to proceed with three different controlling powers. 



" Bolton 1 had received instructions from his constituents to oppose one 

 committee to manage all. Each kingdom should manage its own affairs. 



" Mr. Doherty said, that three committees might, in the mean time, re- 

 move any petty jealousy that might exist as to the precedency, but he 

 was quite satisfied that one head would be much preferable to three. They 

 had come there for the purpose of forming one union and not three. But, 

 according to the plan proposed by Mr. Foster, they would be establishing 

 three." 



The secretary seems rather a sensible sort of man ; he cannot un- 

 derstand, in a mercantile sense, how three can make one ; although, 

 to remove " petty jealousy," he would doubtless do much to oblige 

 his friend Foster. 



" Mr. Foster said, that it was very strange that his friend Mr. Doherty 

 should oppose the same thing here, which he advocated at home. Accord- 

 ing to their union in England, each district had as much control over the 

 affairs of the union as another. * * * * * * 



