CHANGE or SEASONS AND OF THE TIMES. 273 



extortionate and — wlio sought tliem by villainous 

 and really unconstitutional means. 



I use the term 'Villainous/' for that man is a 

 villain, as vile as the robber on the highway, 

 who, with a power in his hands which the villain 

 uses as the highwayman uses his pistol, forces the 

 farmer or the artificer to pay him money through 

 the exigencies of crop, manufacture, and season, 

 and without which compliance the farmer and 

 manufacturer, of whatever description, must be 

 ruined, or, so to speak, resign his life. 



The labouring classes here in England, sorry 

 am I to say it, have been and . are following, 

 in a dishonest course, the exam23le which, on my 

 West India property, some years ago, was set 

 them by the blacks. 



The emancipated slaves came to the local 

 attorney, and said, — '' Your sugar-canes are ripe 

 for cutting; if they are not cut on the instant 

 they are ripe, you will lose the crop ; and we 

 will not cut them unless you give us a bonus (a 

 very large one) in addition to the wages we have 

 been and are receiving." 



Fearing to lose the crop, the attorney complied, 

 but, unhappily, complied, as many farmers and 



VOL. II. T 



