646 lveas WIA sto vetted C.aser 
646 Letter on Affairs’in general, [Dec. 
moral guarantee which results from internal concord and good understand- 
ing ;’ though they knew, as the “ Honorary Secretary,” confessed, at 
_the meeting of the 21st of October, that this Government never, was)in.a. 
situation to.afford.any adequate security tothe public, they did not hesitate 
“to bring out.a “ Greek loan,” and to be, “ mainly instrumental,” as they 
themselves boast in one of. their letters to the Greek deputies (dated May, 
6, 1826), s in creating, for the Greek Government that reputation which 
enabled it to raise large sums of ‘money in this, country !’),, A.‘ gross.” 
deception, therefore, seems to have been practised on the, British, public 
by the Greek Committee, in order to get off the scrip of the first, loan.s 
which, though it bears a small nominal value for time bargains in the 
market, has, in point of fact, no real value at present to any bond fide 
holder ; and, upon the scrip so got off, the excellent “Honorary. Se- 
cretary’” Bowring was so fortunate as to receive ELEVEN THOUSAND. 
POUNDS “ COMMISSION,’ —which however, to him, every body«will. see 
could have been a matter of no influence, or consideration! ; 9)..5) .5 
»,However,. the “services” for which we have to thank.the “* Greek 
Committee” do not rest here. Their official advocate in. the Westminster 
Review asserts in the most dogmatic terms, that ‘ their ;conduct 
throughout has been marked by prudence and. wisdom;”. and Mr 
Bowring has fortunately provided us, in his report of the 21st of Oc- 
tober, with the means. of putting that assertion to, the test.“ The 
_ Greek Committee,” he says, “ urged on the Greek Government that.a 
survey should be made of the national domains, whose. revenue. should 
be applied to the payment of the interest, and whose, freehold ,should 
be held as security for the principal of the loan... It. is greatly.to be 
regretted that this arrangement was not carried into effect.” Now there 
never was any thing truer than this last sentence, spoken by any patriotic 
person in all the world. I agree entirely with Mr. Bowring, ,that, the 
non-completion of such an arrangement is greatly to be regretted; but, 
who is to be blamed for it? Those who, wanting the money, would 
have acceeded to any terms in order to procure it ?—or those who, 
holding the money, and negociating the loan, omitted to obtain the best 
security which the parties could afford for its repayment? sacdeceeh 
.. Now. I .have.only room for one other word—which.is,.to try,if 1 
can’t put all the world (for the future) upon its guard against.a “patriot.” 
The moment I hear the name of a ‘ patriot.””—or of an ‘ ill-used 
gentleman ” «for my own part—I always get ready to call the “ watch” 
immediately. I know them of old. I like a good, jolly, corrupt, un- 
flinching jobber; because there is no pretence to virtue about the 
rogue; he takes. your money as boldly as a highwayman, and does 
not ask it (with a long speech) on the pretence of ‘alms for the 
church!” But your “ patriot” is like the mountebank that gave every 
body on Tower Hill « a shilling”—by selling them a box of salve 
for eighteen-pence, which ought to be charged at half-a-crown. The 
rogue has the impudence, not only to take your money—while he swears 
he will not receive a farthing of it: but afterwards to look you in the 
face, as if he had not got it! Thus the honorary secretary of the Greek 
Committee received £11,000 “ commission” on the first loan. Rather 
a pleasant consequence of ‘ patriotism ;” and almost enough to pay the 
worthy secretary for his “ honorary service.” This is only a portion of 
the “ commission” on the loan, however: for Messrs. Loughnan are the 
