1822.] 
and has never before been explained ; 
Farmers of course cannot continue to 
pay more than the original 25s. nor 
even that sum, with extra taxes, rates, 
and tythes. These purchasers,therefore, 
besides losing their third of the pur- 
chase, find themselves unable to pay 
the interest of the mortgage, and are, 
generally, ruined and beggared! 
it is true that, in many cases, farmers 
caught at long leases on terms which 
so included the rent and the annual 
mortgage; and these likewise are 
now either beggared and ruined, or 
verging towards that condition. 
Such are the effects of wicked ‘vars 
on their inflated and purse-proud in- 
stigators; and such are the conse- 
quences of public ignorance in the first 
elements of political economy. 
1 conclude, therefore, that no means 
exist of restoring the healthy state of 
society, and promoting a vigorous and 
efficient local. cireulation through the 
entire body of the nation, but by com- 
pelling the residence of the receivers 
among the payers, or by such a com- 
promise of their receipts as should be 
equivalent to the disadvantages which 
the payers suffer from the non-resi- 
dence of the receivers. The country 
would then be re-invigorated ; and, by 
the aid of commerce, manufactures, 
and our characteristic industry, we 
might in due time relieve ourselves 
from the overwhelming demands of 
public creditors. 
Common-place policy is not adapted 
to the present exigencies of the na- 
tion. One common-place is the in- 
erease of the poor-rates; but has not 
the system created the poor, and ‘are 
its victims to be first pauperised, and 
then starved? Another common-place 
is to inveigh against the provision for 
the church: but this is only objection- 
able when collected by commutation 
in money, after money has doubled 
its price. Unhappily, common-place 
topics and common-place policy go- 
vern too much the common-place men 
who find their way into the House of 
Commons; and, while other recom- 
mendations than public spirit and 
superior talents qualify a man for a 
senator, the senate must move in sub- 
ordination to a few who govern by 
humouring prejudices, and fostering 
private interests. Hence arises the 
necessity of some Parliamentary Re- 
form, which should restore to the peo- 
ple such an influence as might return 
3 
Dr. Cartwright on the Inventor of Steam- Boats. 
389 
to the House of Commons other than 
common-place politicians,—men iden- 
tified with the people, and chosen by 
them because equal to the exigencies 
in which a nation must sometimes be 
placed, and who would prevent such 
exigencies as arise from the ambition 
of a minister, and the folly of a court. 
Nov. ?. . Common SEwNsE. 
—__——— 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
N a report of a Committee of the 
House of Commons on roads from 
London to Holyhead, and on steam 
navigation, &c. I meet with this pas- 
sage :—‘‘ It was not till the year 1807, 
when the Americans began to use 
steam-boats on their rivers, that their 
safety and utility were first proved. 
But the whole merit of constrycting 
these boats is first due to natives of Great 
Britain. Mr. Henry Bell, of Glasgow, 
gave the first model of them to Mr, Ful- 
ton, and went over to America to assist 
him in establishing them. And Mr. 
Fulton got the engines he used in his 
first steam-boat upon Hudson’s river, 
from Messrs. Bolton and Watt.” 
In justice to the memory and ta- 
lents of my friend, the late Mr. Fulton, 
I take upon me to say, that the above 
statement is not correct. My intimacy 
with Mr. F. commenced in the year 
1796, and continued without interrup- 
tion till the year 1806, when he went 
to America. During which time I 
never heard him mention the name of 
Mr. Henry Bell; nor do I believe he 
knew there was such a person in 
existence, till he was sent out, as £ 
suppose, by Messrs, Bolton and Watt, 
to superintend the putting together 
and sfarting their engine under Mr. 
Fulton’s direction. ‘That he might, in 
the progress of this work, suggest a 
useful hint or two, as a practical and 
experienced engineer, is not unlikely; 
but to claim any merit in the invention 
itselfis absurd. It might be claimed 
by every subsequent steam-vessel 
builder with equal justice, as there 
are few of them who may not have 
added some trifling improvements of 
their own. 
If any one has a right to participate 
in the merit of giving birth to steam- 
navigation, as far as Mr. Fulton is 
concerned, it is myself: but my claim, 
however, will not be thought consider- 
able when I state, that it is founded 
solely in directing Mr. Fulton’s. atten- 
tion 
. 
