The high price of copper was now engaging the serious attention of our manufacturers. As we have previously seen, various meetings were held on the subject, and various plans adopted to remedy such an injurious state of prices. A deputation was appointed to wait upon the Prime Minister, and on March 12, appeared this notice of the result of the interview:—"We are happy to inform the public that the Minister paid every attention to the plans submitted to him by the deputation from this town, in consequence of the high price of copper, and he promised that the subject should have his serious and immediate consideration."
The feelings produced by the riots, and the irritation under which the sufferers must have borne their unjust losses, continued to betray themselves. Dr. Priestley, as we know, had addressed a manly Appeal to the People of Birmingham. The Rev. E. Burn undertook to produce a reply to this letter, which was to have been published on March 26. In the following announcement Mr. Burn states his reasons for not issuing his brochure according to promise, and they are honourable to him as a clergyman and a gentleman. We fear there were not many who took part in this controversy who would have acted with the same thoughtful consideration:—
To The Printer.
Mr. Pearson,—As I stand engaged by an advertisement in your paper of last Monday, to publish, this day, a Reply to Dr. Priestley's Appeal, I beg leave, through you, to assign the Reason of my not keeping my Word with the Public. It has been represented to me, by a friend of the Doctor, that the Publication of my Answer so immediately before the Assize, when there would be no opportunity of replying on his Part, might possibly create a Prejudice in the Public mind to his Disadvantage, and would therefore be considered by his Friends as an Act of Injustice to Dr. Priestley.
As there is nothing farther from my Intention than the wish of influencing any judicial Procedure that may respect Dr, Priestley as a Sufferer in the late Riots, I do for this Reason most cheerfully consent that the Publication of my Reply be deferred till this Day Se'nnight. In the mean Time, Sir, I take it for granted that no advantage will be taken of my Silence, inconsistent with that Regard for Justice by which I feel my own Conduct to bc influenced in this Business.
Hutton, from his well-known penuriousness, was exposed to some not very pleasant reports, to which he thus replied:—
