Napoleon in 1812
Chapter 81:

13. Golden War – 5

Inrecent years, Britain’sfinancial, economic andsocial atmospherehad fluctuatedlike a sailboat riding a wave. Economic indicatorscontinued to riseand fallasthe boomand recession alternated depending on trade balance, domestic market, climatechange, andoverseascolonialconditions.

The economy was themost importantframework for supporting the nation. It was perhaps naturalthat theentire Britishsociety wasexperiencing chaos and instability.

The ever-changing industrialenvironmentand regime of Britain wereamongthe causes. Domestichandicrafts, operated in the form of individuals or families, were insufficient to counter the power of fossilfuelsand steam engines. The marketeconomy wasa thoroughly weakeconomy.

Small handicrafts disappeared as theyclosed one by one. Large companies andfactories began to enter the site. Theclassofcapitalistsand workerswas no longer a new phenomenon for them.

Factories built in industrialcities suchasManchester, Lothian, Birmingham andBristol grew larger, blackclouds covering in the skygrew thicker, andBritish manufacturedgoodsnow dominated theglobal market to theextent thatthey could be seen anywhere in Asiaand in the NewWorld.

Theconglomerate and itscapitalistshad accumulated enormous wealth by monopolizingthe market. Onthe other hand, the workers employed by themwere starving andimpoverished withoutproper pay andtreatment.

The gap between richand poorwidened daybyday. As a result, social problems and crimesalso occurred frequently. Nevertheless, prominent British economic and sociologistsviewed the whole process as apain in Britain’sdeveloping transition.

‘The changeinthe industrialstructure is justa wayofimproving the overall constitution of thenationaleconomy. It’s a problemthat will naturally subside overtime.’

‘The morewedothis, the moreweneed to provide asocial environment where capitalists can investtheirassets. It will eventuallyreturn to the wealthofthe state.’

It was no wonderthat theBritish government’shigh-ranking officials, who wereheavily bribedand funded by capitalists, pushed for such apro-capitalistpolicy.

Britain achieved a mechanicalrevolution faraheadofFrance. However, thetwo countries showedcleardifferencesintheirattitudetoward dealingwith thetwo classesborn of themechanical revolution.

France, like acountry founded by people, protected the rightsand interests of workers, andBritain, like a countryoffinance andcapitalists, tookcare of theinterests of businessmen. Only God knew whatdifferencesand consequences this would bring in the future.

===

The State OpeningofWestminsterParliament, held on thefirstWednesday of every month, wasa bitdifferent fromotherparliamentary meetings.

The opening ceremony was usually heldatthe House of Lords, where themembers discussedstateaffairs, whichwas attended by membersofthe upper classesofBritain, including journalists, businessmen, lawyers andothers, as well as citizens.

Afterthat, they were given the right to observe the parliament’sstateaffairs anddiscussions. Although theyhad no say in it, they were given sufficientrole to monitor and check thelawmakers’ parliamentary activities, allowing themtouse their rights as British citizens before being privileged.

“The members of the House of Lords areentering.”

Assoon as theclerk’s words were over, people wearing red clothes, white hats, andfancyaccessoriesappearedone after another. Journalists who hadarrived in advance and were attending quietly recorded their visits.

“Huh!”

“Well!…”

The people whoentered thechairwith arrogant faces andgestureswere members of the House of Lords, mainly the hereditary nobility of England, Scotland and Wales.

Theywere families of honor whohad long-standingfamily lines and traditionand received numerous privilegesand pensions fromthe state.

Some of them could haveinherited the seat of the aristocracy. They were atrulyprivileged class whohad the right to take charge of British politics for generations andgenerationsunless Britainwas destroyed.

“Themembers of theHouseofCommons areentering.”

Dark navy neat, modest clothing, blackhat and one-eyed glasses, solemnatmosphere andrefined expressions.

Membersofthe House of Commons, who sawpuritanicalmoderation andfrugality as virtues, which werethe opposite of the arrogant group of aristocrats, were mainlyofthe gentry class.

Theywere peoplewho werenot borninto families with longhistory or tradition, but rose to thispositionwith their efforts and abilities.

Naturally, the relationshipbetween thearistocracyand the commonerswas not very good. Eventhough theywere in thesame party, the way they looked at each other was notnice.

‘Tsk… vulgar, baseless people.’

‘Pigswho onlyhave their families!’

Regardless of whetherthe two housestreated each other lightlyornot, theopening ceremony of theParliament proceededsteadilyfollowing the pre-ceremonial procedures.

Royalguards searched the underground warehouseinpreparationfor apossiblesecond ‘GunpowderPlot’ (attempted assassination of James I)[1], andlawmakers fromboth housessaid holy prayersand createda solemnatmosphere.

After that, the ritualceremonywas carriedout, anditwas completed only after the symbolofthe Britishroyalfamily was present as well.

Finally, allthe participants of theopening ceremony of theParliament gathered as PrinceRegent George IV, representing the king who wasseriously ill andunable to takecare of state affairs, appeared as chairman.

Usually, whena king or his representative came, both aristocrats and commonershad to stand up and show proper courtesy, but there was an exceptionfor the opening ceremony of the House of Lords.

There was a feelingthat even the king should acknowledge thelegitimacy andauthority of the British Parliament.

With the help of the chairman of theHouseofLordsand clerks, Prince Regent GeorgeIV ofEngland ledthe grand ceremony by giving theopening speech.

“…God bless the kingdom, theparliament andthe citizens, andI believe thatthe wiselawmakers willdeal with and supplement the policies, billsand public rightsthat I haveproposed.”

Lawmakers and observersinboth Housesgave a well-organized applause and courtesy to theprince’sspeech. Theopening ceremony of theWestminsterParliament ended when George IV stepped downwith hisentourage.

InFebruary1813, the discussions betweenthe House of Lords and theHouseofCommons began. Rightatthe start, a bombdropped at Westminster Palace.

“The kingdomisa prosperous countrythat standsatthe forefront of Europeintechnology andinstitutions, finance and capital, colonial markets and politicalsystems. But can yousay withconfidence that the kingdom’sdomesticand internationalappearance andactions arethoseofsuch a developed country?”

The current leader of theWhig party, Charles Grey, Viscount Howick[2], saidthe above fromthe Westminster podium.

The reasonwhy he, whohad suffered acrushingdefeat in the general election two years ago, was able to shout withsuch confidence was because the current situation of Britain was notgood.

Journalists who smelled the scoop busilywrotedown hisspeech. Members of the rulingTory party shouted, butCharles Grey shoutedina loudervoice.

“Last year, ourkingdom faced three major crises! The first wasthat thedebt-to-incomeratioskyrocketedand we faced financial emergencies as a result of over-issuingbondstocoverthe costs of the war! Second, the price of grains, meat, vegetables andotherfood products soaredastradewith importerswas cut off! And thethirdcrisis was thepainful failure in the NewWorldtrademarket thatled to our isolation! The current cabinetisshowing no will to solve any of them properly!”

The UnitedKingdom wasa country thatimportedmost of itsfood from abroad, with itsmain importersbeingthe United Statesand other New World countries, and Russia.

However, Russiawas defeated by France andNapoleonand joined theContinentalBlockadeagain. The U.S. alsodeclaredwar againstBritain, cutting offall its smugglingroutes.

Eventually, they hadnochoice but to importfood from Spain’sNew World colonies, butthe problemwas thatthey began to reducetheirsalestotheirallies, Britain, as they declared independence from Spain.

Tomake matters worse, 1811 and 1812 werethe years whenglobal bad harvests were prevalent duetosudden climatechange.

Food pricesinthe United Kingdom experienced massiveinflation, citizens were clamoring forbread, meatand vegetables, and local governments where thesituation was severehad evenstarted rationing.

“Myanswer to the leaderofthe Whigparty, CharlesGrey! I cansee whatyou are criticizing, but thisisthe result of a naturaldisasterthat humanscouldnot predict. And as a result, the response of our government was much better than thatofour French enemies. At least tens of thousands of peopledied of starvation.”

“I wonder if we canpraise ourselves fordoingbetter thana nationthat moves by dictatorshipand flattery of asingle individual, whenour nation operates with ahigh level of educationand proficiency of collectiveintelligence. Of course, it’shard to predict naturaldisasters. However, I and theWhig Party have always criticized the narrowinternational diplomatic framework of thekingdom andthe operation of theconservative trade market. Ifthe currentcabinet humblyacceptedopposition criticismand sought to diversifythe kingdom’s international market, I am sure thatitwouldhave been muchbetter thantoday’s politicalsituation. In theend, it’s all a tragedyand adisasterbrought by thegovernment’s complacency in state affairs.”

Despite theTory counterattack, Charles Greysaid everything he had to saywithout batting an eye.

Participatinginthe IberianWar, in which they did notnecessarilyhave to step in (theWhig Party opposed the war), dida great disservice to the kingdom’snationalinterests.

Now thatthey took partinthe war, itshould havebeen wonalready, but by settingupa wrong strategy against France, many young British people were buried in cold foreignlands.

Notonly didthey fail to subdue France, but they alsostarted a new warwith clumsyand overbearing diplomacy against the UnitedStates.

Charles Grey, Viscount Howick, did notstep down fromthe podium until theend, pryingout and attackingthe ruling Tory Party’smistakes. And this drewa lotofsupport andsympathyfrom theobservers.

=

Charles Greyexpressed in apassionate tone Britain’s ‘misfortune’, caused by theruling Torypartyand the Prime Minister, Robert Jenkinson.

Membersofthe Toryparty, hit hard by his cutting remarks, werelooking at each other withbitter faces. They had notexpectedthat it wasgoingtobecrazyfrom thestartofthe openingceremony.

“Sir! Areyou going to let that wicked mankeep talking as he wishes?”

“He’s a pathetic man whodoesn’t even knowa word of honor. He whoincites peoplebyselling patriotism doesn’tdeserve more thanthis.”

Prime Minister RobertJenkinson glared at Charles Greyand narrowed his eyes. He hadpredicted thistosome extent. And he hadpreparedsomething on his side, too.

Clap clapclap clap clap-!!

At theend of CharlesGrey’s speech, members of theWhig party applaudedenthusiastically. And asignificantnumber of observers didaswell.

Thiswas becausethey felt thatthe currentslumpinthe Britisheconomy wasunusual. The nextperson on the podiumwas Prime Minister Robert Jenkinson. He opened hismouthamid mixed expectationsand dissatisfaction.

“I’ll takethis opportunity to clarify. Thecrisis thathas cometothe kingdomnow is justa dark cloud thatwill eventually pass. Nevertheless, I acknowledge my responsibility as Prime Minister forthe internal and external circumstances.”

“It goes withoutsaying! Resign!”

“Incompetent Prime Minister, resignnow!”

Somemembers of theHouseofCommons of theWhig party shouted. Members of the Tory party protested in opposition.

“How long do you intendtolaunch sucha vulgarpolitical offensive when the country is in crisis!?”

“Be careful. Thisisthe Palace of Westminster, wherethe framework of theKingdom of Britain was created.”

The mood did notcalm down easily, but Prime Minister Robert Jenkinsonsaid.

“There will be no major increase in the cost of war that manycitizensare concerned about. This is notjust an excuseora lietoavoidthe currentsituation. I don’t feelthe needtodoso, and I havenodoubtthat I can overcome this crisis wisely.”

Ifhehad suggested increasing the taxes, hecouldhave reallybeen dragged out of hisprimeminister’s seat.

Even if thetaxeswere notnoticeably increased, Britainhad manyways to collect money. Prime Minister Jenkinson’s eyes wereonthe autonomousfinancial boroughs.

Hehad given thema lotofprivileges andtax cuts. It was time to catch the fatgoose.

TL notes

[1]Gunpowder Plot

[2]Charles Grey

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