- Museum number
- 1868,0808.12298
- Title
-
Object: [Reform and retrenchment]
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Object: The select few o[n] the police
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Object: The rude multitude on the police
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Object: [The king defended]
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Object: [The late driver of the sovereign]
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Object: A man astonished at himself
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Object: Dr Fullpotts.
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Object: J Bulls hint to the new premier.
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Object: Alley Croker.
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Object: Eaton thrashing machine
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Object: The man that thought to stem the tide.
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Object: An in and an out.
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Object: Two outs.
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Object: At Tamworth.
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Object: An answer.
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Object: State of the country.
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Object: [John Bull's plight]
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Object: [A riot]
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Series: The Looking Glass No. 12
- Description
-
Lithographic caricature magazine of four pages on two leaves, in the form of a (monthly) newspaper; illustrations as follows. 1 December 1830
Page 1.
[REFORM AND RETRENCHMENT] (16366)
No title. A coroneted barouche with four greys and a postilion drives (left to right) along 'Bond Str...', ruinous houses forming a background. A bedizened, sour-looking woman, caressing a poodle, faces a dandy lounging between two Italian greyhounds, who looks through an eye-glass. She: 'What do the People mean by reform and retrenchment we have now nothing more than common necessaries have we James'. He: 'I never trouble my head about it my Lady'. The corner-house they pass has broken windows and is covered with bills; in large letters 'John Bull. Late English', and is 'To Let'. Bills include 'Sale by Auction under Sheriff ... ; Notes ; Caution ; Auction'. Scrawled in large letters 'Hunts Black[ing, see No. 16575]'. Down a dilapidated side-street windows are headed 'Cook Cook' to show that cook-shops (for cheap ready-cooked food, cf. No 13127) have replaced the shops of this fashionable district. (For national distress see No. 16032, &c. ; trade though not agriculture had revived. For Reform and Retrenchment see No. 16359.)
THE SELECT FEW O[N] THE POLICE (16367)
A paunchy and vulgarly prosperous man addresses six others who sit or stand at a table: 'I am decidedly for the Police for what can be better than that the Poor should pay for the protection of our propert'y. A beadle (left) holds the door against outsiders who try to push in, showing that the meeting is that of a select vestry. One vestryman has a big rate-book, 'T.....Poor'; in his pocket is a paper: 'Church'. The Devil peers out from under the table-cloth. A companion print to No. 16368.
THE RUDE MULTITUDE ON THE POLICE (16368)
An artisan addresses a crowd which includes a fat butcher with his dog: 'I say that the Police are an Inefective Impudent disorderly extortionate Body and thy [sic] are unconstitutional you all agree with me'. They shout 'all all all all all'. See No. 16367.
[THE KING DEFENDED] (16369)
No title. Wellington and (presumably) Peel defend a room with a barricaded door, the Duke with a big pistol in each hand, Peel with a bayoneted musket. A cannon and muskets are trained on the door. William IV, wearing his crown, is concealed in a chest, but pushes up the lid to say 'I can bear this no longer let me go to my people'. Peel: 'We'I Protect you even at the risk of our Places'. The Duke: 'Let them come we'I Riddle them'. (For scare-mongering by Wellington and Peel see No. 16303, &c.)
[THE LATE DRIVER OF THE SOVEREIGN] (16370)
No title. Wellington stands dejectedly in tattered greatcoat, broken boots, and battered hat, saying, 'Who who would ever [think] that I am the man what was I have drove many great Men but now I only Drive a Cab'. Behind: the Achilles statue (see No. 14376) and the NW. corner of Apsley House. (One of several sequels to No. 15731; for Wellington's resignation see No. 16333, &c.)
Page 2.
A MAN ASTONISHED AT HIMSELF (16371)
Brougham, in wig and gown, stands full-face and on tiptoe, hands raised with fingers spread. Behind him, against the Woo[l sack], lean a broom and the Mace (upside down). He says: 'Cease not to wonder little Alley Croker I myself am lost in wonderment! ! ! ! ! !' See No. 16374.
DR FULLPOTTS. (16372)
A fat bishop sits on the ground between two giant pots, or frothing tankards, an arm round each. The larger is Bishopric of Exeter; the other, Deanery of Chester.
J BULLS HINT TO THE NEW PREMIER (16373)
J. B., a countryman, shouts into Lord Grey's ear 'Dont think too much of Your "Order" as you call it'. Grey listens with an amiable half-smile. Both are half-length.
ALLEY CROKER. (16374)
A frog sits in profile to the left (facing No. 16371) on a flat mushroom, saying, 'That Mr B------m should have accepted office, after his late declaration is I think a mater [sic] of the greatest wonder [see No. 16371]'.
EATON THRASHING MACHINE. (16531.†)
A paunchy brandy-faced parson (not resembling Keate), holding a big birch-rod, gapes in amazement at a large letter: 'Dr Keats Rev Sir Unless you lay aside your "Thrashing Machine" You will hear further from [signature] Swing''. Keate as headmaster of Eton (see No. 12823) overcame turbulence by flogging. A practical joker sent him one of the 'Swing' letters, see No. 16400, worded as above. Vizetelly, Glances Back . . ., 1893, i. 66.
THE MAN THAT THOUGHT TO STEM THE TIDE. (16375)
Wellington has fallen backwards in a sitting posture on the crest of a wave inscribed (three times) 'Reform', which is foaming on the level shore, on a flowing tide. He wears his usual dress with top-hat, and holds up his arms in astonishment, saying, 'Thus far shalt thou come but no farther— Ha!!!!!!' (For Wellington's declaration against Reform see No. 16299. An anticipation of a famous print, No. 16801.)
Page 3.
AN IN AND AN OUT. (16376)
The Marquis of Anglesey (left), in hussar uniform, doffing his busby and carrying a cavalry boot (for the leg lost at Waterloo) against his shoulder, approaches Wellington, saying, 'Any commands for Ireland My Lord Duke'. Wellington, seated on an upright chair, with folded arms, his back to Anglesey, answers with grim decision 'No'. (For Wellington's recall of Anglesey see No. 15656, &c; on the Duke's resignation (see No. 16333) he was reappointed by Grey, see No. 16395.)
TWO OUTS. (16377)
Lyndhurst, in Chancellor's wig and gown, sits dejectedly, his elbow on writing-table (right). Eldon (left) enters, hat in hand, saying to his successor, 'Brother in adversity Your hand'. Lyndhurst, looking sideways at Eldon says, 'The old white Lion here'. See No. 15831.
AT TAMWORTH. (16378)
Peel (at Drayton Manor) leans with his back against a table, saying to a fat old footman in the doorway, 'John whats all this Bell ringing about'. John: 'La Sir Robert they say it's some change in the Ministry'.
AN ANSWER. (16379)
The Duke of Cumberland, with outstretched arms, approaches the King (left) who sits, pen in hand. He says: 'A glorious change Brother, cant I do something'. William IV: 'I Fear not Ernest, the new Ministry must be something popular'. (Cumberland, Wellington's enemy, see Nos. 15843, 16302, had hopes of favours from Grey and made advances which were rejected, see Letters of Princess Lieven, ed. L. G. Robinson, 1902, p. 279. His political influence ended with George IV's death. Cf. Nos. 16389, 16632.)
STATE OF THE COUNTRY. (16380)
The upper part of a round neat corn-stack forms the centre of the design. On its domed top sits the gaitered and spectacled farmer, a blunderbuss in each hand. He says complacently: 'Well I dont think Mr Swing can come here'. Behind him flames are rising; one terrified labourer falls backwards from the stack; two others shout: 'Oh! L—d Master!!' and 'fire fire fire!!!' Below are two small scenes: on the left is a blazing building, men are breaking machinery (a cogged wheel) with axes; they have two banners: 'No Machines' and 'Swing For Ever'. In front of this a stout top-booted parson, surrounded by a crowd of yokels, stares in dismay at a man in a smock who holds up a paper inscribed 'Lower Your Tithes' and a pitchfork from which a noose dangles menacingly. On the right is a county meeting addressed by the Lord-Lieutenant: a dandified man on a platform, wearing a star, speaks to a standing audience: 'I Recommend to this meeting the formation of a yeomanry Regiment of which I am willing to take the command, then if the base peasantry wont starve quietly we can cut them down like chaff'. A stout John Bull speaks from the ground: 'I think that whould, only make worse, what we want is Reform in Parliament, with Lower Rents Taxes & Tithes, you that think with me hold up your hands'. All hands are held up, with shouts of 'all all all'. (The new Ministry were faced with agrarian disturbances, see No. 16400, &c.)
Page 4.
[JOHN BULL'S PLIGHT] (16381)
John, ragged and melancholy, toes through his top-boots, stands with both hands resting on his stick, looking down at a lean dog. In his pockets are papers inscribed 'Petition'. At his feet are more papers: 'Petition Corn; Petition Reform; Petion [sic]; Police [see No. 15768, &c]; Petition Window[s]; Petition Soap'. Inscriptions above J. B.'s head: 'And John said more in Sorrow than in Anger What the Devil is the matter with us Can you tell Trusty'. The dog: 'No my good Master John You like myself seem to be getting worse and worse I have a chance of a change should the Steam Carriage come into vogue' [see No. 15978]. A policeman watches J. B. from behind a dilapidated wall (right); he says 'I have my eye on you old boy'. In the background are the spires and roofs of London, behind little ruinous buildings and walls, with small figures and dead dogs. A prosperous tax-collector stands before the ruins of a house inscribed beer, saying, 'Surely the People are not gone away'. (See No. 16365; for the effect of the Beer Act on publicans No. 16086A. Nos. 16381-2 are so arranged that J. B. in the former seems to be mourning over the scene behind him in the latter.)
[A RIOT] (16382)
See No. 16381. A crowd, using sticks and stones and waving hats, fills the space before the houses of a country town, where the shop of a Baker is conspicuous. They have two banners inscribed 'bread'. Inscription: 'We think it fit | With so much drink | To eat a little bit | And when of that we tire | To warm our selv's | We'I make a Fire'. (A protest against dear bread and cheap beer, see No. 16086, &c.)
- Production date
- 1830
- Dimensions
-
Height: 418 millimetres (approx. page size)
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Width: 289 millimetres (approx. page size)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Notes to No. 16367:
For the New Police see No. 15768, &c. Hobhouse was carrying on a campaign against the select vestry as a self-appointed organ of local government, especially in London. His Bill was passed in 1831 (1 & 2 Will. IV, c. 64), but was permissive, and by 1842 had been adopted in nine parishes only. See Parl. Deb., 3rd s., i. 1206-8 ; S. and B. Webb, Local Government, Parish and County, pp. 262-76, and Nos. 15506, &c., 15789, 16189, 16556, 16789, I7I73.
Notes to No. 16372:
Dr. Philipotts, a bugbear to the Radicals, Dean of Chester since March 1828, was appointed to the bishopric of Exeter (£3,000 a year) just before Wellington's defeat, having stipulated that he should hold with it in commendam the living of Stanhope (£4,000 a year). The parishioners petitioned against this; the new Ministry refused to sanction the arrangement, but in effect gave way: a Canon of Durham exchanged his stall for the Stanhope living and Grey presented Phillpotts to the vacant stall. The Bishop then resigned the Deanery of Chester. Wellington, Despatches, n.s. vii. 361 f. ; Parl. Deb. 3rd s., pp. 620-4, 932; Greville, Memoirs, 1938, ii. 95. See No. 17005, &c.
Notes to No. 16373:
In 1827 Grey said in the Lords: 'If there should come a contest between this House and a great portion of the people, my part is taken, and with that order to which I belong I will stand or fall.' Parl. Deb., n.s. xvii. 1261. See Nos. 15409, 16578, l6671; cf. No. 17339.
Notes to No. 16374:
The tenor of Croker's speech on 23 Nov. on a motion for a new writ for Yorkshire, when he read a passage from the Morning Chronicle on Brougham's declaration that 'when he was returned for Yorkshire, he made his election between power and the people', &c. Parl. Deb., 3rd s. i. 637-40; Brightfield, John William Croker, 1940, pp. 55-57. See Nos. 16281, 16339, &c. For Croker as Alley Croker cf. (e.g.) No. 12310.
Notes to No. 16378:
On the defeat of the Ministry, see No. 16333, &c, Peel showed signs of wishing to withdraw from political leadership: he wrote 'at the moment that newspapers are speculating upon my love of office and eager appetite for the return to it, I regard the return to it under any circumstances with feelings of growing aversion'. C. S. Parker, Peel, 1899, ii. 170. Cf. Stanhope, Conversations with Wellington, 1938, p. 185.
Bound in a volume ("The Looking Glass, Vol. I") containing nos. 1 to 12 for 1830. Vols. I to VII (1830 to 1836) are kept at 298.d.12 to 18.
- Location
- Not on display
- Acquisition date
- 1868
- Department
- Prints and Drawings
- Registration number
- 1868,0808.12298
