8 27.] \LetteronAffairsingeneral. 401 



drawers)" in the best streets and squares of the metropolis, levying in- 

 comes of five, and ten, and fifteen thousand pounds a-year ! The people 

 who support these as a people would scarcely seem to know much 

 about distress! 



Our " first estate''' the persons that pay Mile. Brocard, and 

 have built the club-houses I find few signs of poverty among them ; 

 our second class the stock-jobbers, barristers, arid attorneys, who have 

 taken " Brighton" to themselves now as a " Fauxbourg" making over 

 Kennington, Claphara, and Hackney to the vulgar I don't find one of 

 these hut must have some ornamental needlessness about his arrangements 

 which his forefathers had not before him. And for the lower order 

 still the shopmen, clerks, and working artisans how all the public- 

 houses, and spirit-shops, and tea and coffee-houses, that one runs against 

 at every step, contrive to exist who it is that fills the " reading-rooms," 

 and the " wine-rooms," and the " gymnastic clubs," and the " smoking 

 clubs" and who rides in all the hackney gigs, and ie cabriolets" and 

 who drinks up all the gin that is made, and all the ale, and all the " Cape 

 Madeira," at fifteen pence a bottle, that is stuck upon placards about the 

 streets not to inquire about the soda water, and ginger beer, that bubbles 

 out from fountains at the chemists' shops, and at the oyster shops, or the 

 Champagne sold in " samples'' of " a single bottle," under the opera 

 colonnade by Mr. Charles Wright the very least of these questions seerns 

 hopeless, and puts even one's imagination to a stand still ! But, now for one 

 question in the way of " political economy." All this shew of prosperity 

 is found in London where the wealthy and noble of Britain are resi- 

 dents. If these were to become " absentees" if the grass were to grow 

 upon the pavement of Pall Mall, and the owl build in the chimnies and 

 garrets of Portland-place would this state of things continue ? I should 

 like to have Mr. M'Culloch's opinion upon this point; and, if he should 

 favour the affirmative, I have a scheme for making all the universe " rich 

 and happy to-morrow." But this affair shall be the subject of a future 

 letter : at present, I must give tip describing the state of appearances in 

 London, to talk of the matters which are actually going on there. 



The public mind has been brimful of politics during the present month. 

 The corn question, the change in the ministry, our relations with Portu- 

 gal, and the catholic emancipation, all were to be talked about. The 

 Master of the Rolls has explained part of his bill for reforming the prac- 

 tice of the Court of Chancery ; but, as to the effect of that measure, 

 people were not very sanguine and the event has borne out their expec- 

 tation : they felt that the evils, both of law and of practice, in that court, 

 were grown up into too strong an interest to be likely to be attacked to 

 any material purpose. " The criminal law re-vision" bill has been 

 brought in too ; but that proceeding though a great and valuable work 

 was not likely to excite any very peculiar attention ; first, because there 

 was a general confidence that Mr. Peel would perform it with discretion 

 and ability ; and, next, because the affair does not exactly press the old 

 machine " works well" as it is or, if any injury is done, it Falls upon 

 a description of individuals (the rogues) who woufd hardly find a great 

 many supporters, if they complained of it. 



Of the probable materials of the new ministry, or of the extent to 

 which any change will take place, up to this day (the 28th March) I be- 

 lieve nothing is known with certainty. All kinds of men are named as 



M.M. New Series.- VOL. III. No. Ifi. 3 F 



