Political musings

Today Chancellor George Osborne will deliver what is being described as 'a bleak mini-budget.' Read Sill's view on the Conservative Party of 130 years ago as the country prepared for a General Election.

Henry Goulburn Tory Chancellor Jan 1828-Nov 1830

 Overton Gower

April 1^st 1880

My Dear Brother

 I duly received your letter and was glad to hear you are quite well & able to discuss politics so well, I think you had better leave the ranks of the Tories & join those of the Whigs I felt greatly relieved on reading your letter.  I did not think your party had the interest of the country i.e. at home, so much to heart, as to pass those few good laws that you enumerated, to shorten this letter, let me refer you to page seven in the Cambrian & there you will see a great many things they would not do, they were too much occupied with their “spirited” foreign policy, by which they have tarnished and degraded the very name of our nation by upholding the rotten, mislead, despotism of Turkey.  Why not have signed the Berlin Memorandum? & acted jointly with the other powers of Europe in establishing good laws, and order, in the oppressed provinces of Turkey, instead of leaving it in the hands of Russia and thus prevented a unjust and worthless war, & then when both combatants were quite exhausted, to step in for a share of the spoil with such menacing as sending the fleet up the Dardenells & such expressions as “when the sword is drawn justice shall be done” on the back of a very great injustice, at the cost of six millions, which would have done far more good & more honourable had it been distributed to feed our starving poor at home, to be relieved of taxes is very good to be sure but I like to “pay as we go” not to be adding to our nationall debt, which with the Conservatives in power will soon get too heavy a burden to bear and this hasten the time when your bands of pilgrims will be visiting our ruined towns etc.

Just think of the Zulu war with its immense cost of lives & money which you Conservatives so boldly undertook but could not find a man competent to bring it to a honourable conclusion, of your own party, were obliged to send a Liberal (Ld. Garnet) to settle that dificult problem, & now you have a nother in Afghanistan which is nothing less than a sore on the late Cabinet’s head) which none of your doctors can cure.

You will see a letter in the Cambrian by “Informant” owning to Irish & Conservative rogues, I have almost been ruined, but however, I hope we shall have a more enlightened government, next! Which I think is pretty sure.

Please send a Conservative paper sometimes & Punch ever week till the election is over.

We had a good Tea Meeting on Good Friday.  Jane was home from Thursday until Tuesday, and Morgan and Frank, except Saturday.

Hannah went to Swansea yesterday to begin her term to day for two years learning the Millinery & dressmaking.  She is to lodge with Jane at 22 George Street.

We have nearly finished ploughing for barley but have now sown much.

Hoping this will find you quite well & every success to the Liberals.

                              I remain

                                        Your affection:

                                                  Brother S. Bevan