The “Radical Reformers” were groups that were pressing for democratic reforms in England — things like universal male suffrage and secret ballots. They had a largely middle-class, reform-based bent, in contrast to more radical and working-class groups that were also operating at this time.
But in , even the moderates were feeling pretty radical. The military had charged a reform demonstration in Manchester in , killing 15 people and injuring hundreds. It was the Tienanmien Square massacre of its time, and like Tienanmien, it was the beginning, not the end, of the crackdown on democratic reform.
But the radicals weren’t going down without a fight. Below I’m going to reproduce some excerpts from a report on a meeting of Radical Reformers in Carlisle that was held on , as described in the Carlisle Patriot. These show that tax resistance was one of the ways the Radicals were planning to escalate the conflict:
A hand-bill was issued a few days previous, announcing the meeting, and
stating its object to be the coming to a resolution of abstaining as much as
possible from exciseable articles, in order that, by circumscribing the
revenue, the governing powers might be deprived of the means of oppressing the
people, and withholding from them their just rights.
…[P]arties of radicals marched into Carlisle… [and] commenced their march
through some of the principal streets… to the music of drums and fifes…
[Among the placards they carried was] A board to which were appended, a
tea-kettle, a coffee-pot, a snuff-box, a tobacco-box, a broken wine glass, two
short old black pipes, a quart and a pint pot, and a broken ale glass. These
were all empty and turned up-side-down, as indicative of uselessness, now that
the radicals are determined to abstain from taxed commodities.
The Chairman… stated that this meeting was held… to induce all friends of
radical reform to abstain from using certain exciseable articles, until the
people had obtained the desired radical reform in the British House of
Commons. (Cheering.)
Mr. M‘Kenzie, a pressman in the Carlisle Journal Office, then commenced an
address which he had in the poll of his hat, ready written. … Were the
enormous sums raised by taxation employed only in measures of necessity, the
people would bear their privations with philosophical firmness. But when they
see vice revelling in the wages of corruption, they cannot tamely submit to
their sufferings. What do you think of last year’s taxation, amounting to the
sum of 58 millions, a sum ten times as great as when the present king ascended
the throne — besides the many millions of debt hanging as a millstone about
the necks of the people? To support this system almost every article of
consumption is taxed beyond endurance. Tea pays a duty of 100 per cent. Salt,
which every poor man must use, and which is indispensable to health, is taxed
3000 per cent. — 30s. upon
every shilling’s worth that comes out of the pit. (Shame, shame.) Those
are only a few of the means resorted to to uphold the present system. But the
people must stand firm, and be true to themselves, and put their foes under
their feet (cheers); they must put the pandemonium or corruption and
oppression to the route; and to do this the more effectually they must
withhold the taxes, by refusing to consume articles on which high duties are
placed. To effect this, meetings have been held throughout the country, at
which all have unanimously agreed to use as little as possible of such things
as tea, tobacco, spirits, wine,
&c.; in
consequence, the duties of the last quarter fell a long way behind those of
the corresponding quarter last year, itself a failing one. A string of
resolutions will be submitted to you, the same in substance as was lately
agreed to by 40,000 of your countrymen at a recent meeting in the North.
They have boldly come forward, and are determined to stand by the
resolutions, to shew themselves worthy descendants of [Robert the] Bruce and
[William] Wallace. Now, gentlemen, will you not do the same? (Yes!
yes!) Will you not as firmly abide by the resolutions? (We will!)
Every one that refuses to do this, is unworthy to be the countryman of [John]
Hampden, [Algernon] Sydney, and [William] Russell. (Bravo, and cheers.)
We must make a long pull, a strong pull, and a pull all together.
(Bravo.) We must manfully drag the monster corruption into day, and put
a final period to all our miseries. (Loud cheering.)
Mr. [James] Weems now stepped forward. … Let all present abstain from the use
of exciseable articles, in order to keep the revenue down, for no pay no
soldier, therefore the people must withhold the means, and thus pull down the
present abominable system — and it shall come down! a few months only will
finish the job! (Loud cheering.) He would now retire in order to permit
the reading of the resolutions, which done, he designed to make a few remarks
upon them.
The following resolutions were then read by Mr. Liddell, bootmaker:–
- That this meeting views with grief and sorrow an accumulated load of
poverty, starvation, and wretchedness, heaped on this once happy land; and
that this state of suffering is not confined to one class of society, but
extends less or more over all (except those who live on taxation); that
this misery is the result of an enormous load of taxation imposed upon the
people by those who style themselves their rulers, but who have only
plundered the defenceless people of their all, to render themselves
despotic and rule by the law of the sword.
- That the ruling faction could not have carried on their iniquitous
measures, had it not been for the ignorance of the people, because tyranny
ceases to exist the moment man is enlightened, therefore it is the duty of
every man to procure useful information respecting his sacred rights and
liberties, that as a man he may defend them against every encroachment,
from whatever quarter it may come, for which important purpose men should
associate in small numbers for their mutual instruction and improvement,
that thus a race of enlightened men may arise who shall demand their
rights as men, in a tone that will make tyranny tremble and hide its
guilty head.
- That the people have, in a great measure, themselves to blame for their
sufferings, because they have inconsiderately wasted much of their money
in the consumption of exciseable articles, whereby they have kept
themselves in poverty and ignorance, to the support of despots, who keep a
large standing army in time of peace to prevent the people from obtaining
their constitutional rights, all which is a direct violation of the Great
Charters of British Liberty.
- That the exciseable articles particularly referred to, are tea, which pays
a duty of cent. per
cent. or just one half,
consequently, every five ounces of tea consumed by any family, pays a
soldier a day’s wages to prevent the people obtaining their rights and
liberties; tobacco and snuff pay threpence an ounce, so that five ounces
of these articles pay a soldier a day’s wages; spiritous liquors pay
11s. per gallon, or
better than fourpence per noggin, consequently, every four noggins
[approximately a pint] that a man drinks, he not only abuses his own
constitution, impairs his finances, benumbs his understanding, and
paralizes all the noble faculties of his soul, but pays a hireling soldier
to keep him in subjection to a cruel and merciless task-master. Ale, which
pays duties equal to spirits, may be viewed in the same light, as being
equally destructive to the morals, the finances, and tends to the support
of tyranny.
- That every Radical Reformer should put on a firm resolution to abstain
from the use of the above articles until he obtain a radical reform in the
House of Commons. The happiest results may be expected from this line of
conduct; he will always be in a sound state of mind and body, he will
improve his mind by reading and reflection, and afford to his radical
brethren good evidence that he is earnestly desirous to promote radical
reform, and that to obtain this important end he can sacrifice his own
propensities. And lastly, that which is of infinite importance to the good
cause, he will keep out of the pockets of the borough-monger faction a
great part of that revenue on which they depend to support themselves in
their usurped authority.
- That as Radical Reformers are generally oppressed and injured by those
who oppose their constitutional claims, it is indispensably necessary
that they endeavour to assist and support each other in their respective
trades, callings, or professions, and that they should deal as much as
they possibly can with each other, thus aiding, assisting, and encouraging
one another in the good and great cause of universal freedom.
- That although the faction in power may trump up green bag plots
[referring, apparently, to a case in which the government planted agents provocateurs in Radical meetings to promote violent acts which were then used as justification for extra-legal crackdowns, much as is commonly done by the U.S. government today — Here’s a pamphlet by Radical Reformer Henry Hunt on “The Green Bag Plot.”],
in order to form a pretext for the suspension of the Habeas Corpus, and may
obtain such suspension and under its operation may send many innocent men
to jail, harass and plague men infinitely better than themselves, yet they
cannot thereby pay that enormous load of debt they have contracted,
neither can they compel the Reformers to pay the interest thereof by
compelling them to swallow their abominable exciseable articles,
therefore, Reformers may comfort themselves with the idea that the debt
and all its consequences hang over the heads of the borough-mongers
notwithstanding indemnity or suspension bills.
- [and so forth]
Mr. Weems again came forward… The [third] resolution informs us, that
the people have themselves to blame for their sufferings. This is in a great
measure true, because they have tamely given their money in the support of a
hireling army, backed by which, their oppressors have been enabled to grind
them to the earth. But this day, let us give them good earnest that we will do
so no more; let them see that our eyes are opened; that in future we mean to
be more circumspect; and prevent the borough faction from oppressing us, by
keeping our money for our own use; — and probably we shall want it, too, to
provide for our own defence (very loud cheering), because by that thing
called magna charta, every one has a right to have arms, and should have them.
(Cries of, And we will have them!) And I hope on that day no cowards
will be found (cheers), but that all will be ready to spend the last
drop of their blood in handing down our rights. (Loud cheers). — The
next resolution informs us of various exciseable articles from which our
oppressors derive their greatest support. Many of these cannot be done
without; but such as can be done without, should be given up. Spirits, for
instance, which injure not the pocket alone; they destroy the constitution and
paralize the soul. By giving up these silly articles, we afford evidence that
we are hearty in the cause, and are willing to sacrifice our appetites for the
general good. If we cannot suffer in a trifle, how are we to stand in the
field of battle? (cheers.) We shall be liable to run away. (True,
true.) If we wish to afford evidence that we shall stand firm in the day
of battle, we must take for our example, Sydney, Hampden, Bruce, and Wallace.
(Applause.) — The next resolution, that every radical reformer put on a
firm determination to abstain from these exciseable articles, I have no doubt
all will acquiesce in. … Do the resolutions meet with your approbation?
(Yes!) If so, signify the same by three cheers. — (Loud
Cheering.)
After the dispersal of the meeting, the Lady-Radicals proceeded, in a body, to
the house of one of the sisterhood, in Shaddongate, where they enjoyed a
comfortable cup of either mint tea, or acorn coffee.
As the evening advanced, some of the leading radicals forgot their
morning-vows of abstinence, and were not backward in their potations at
different public houses. The “exciseable articles” agreed so ill with one of
the most conspicuous of the leading men, that in bouncing about, just by way
of practising the true liberty of the subject, he broke
20s. worth of glass, — thus
adding we know not how much to the resources of the enemy!
At one point the Reformers raised a toast to “Cobler Jem, who is a noble example to all reformers.” A footnote explained that:
This said Cobler Jem is a well-known character in Carlisle, and was in the
habit of consuming eighteen-pence or two shillings worth of snuff weekly. This
quantum he has taken for 50 years (we are within the mark), which, at
1s.
6d. per week, to say
nothing of interest, amounts to the round sum of £195! Add to this, that his
wife has snuffed nearly the same quantity! Yet, wonderful to tell! — but what
cannot the principles of radical reform effect? — Cobler Jem and his lady have
thrown away their snuff-boxes!!!
