Newport Chartists Vol.24, p.8

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Vol 24 _____[Top right corner ] 9


Stapleton, Novr 5th -1868


Dear Mr Thomas,

I received your cheque for
‚£3. 7. on looking over the account
of Mr James , I found that you have
omitted one of the sums debited to
you. In his account it stands thus,

Paid to Mr Thomas

1868 Augst ____________8th _____ 1. - 4. - 6
______________________ 31_______1.- 14.- "
____ Novr ______________3_______1. - 18. - "
________________________________4.- 16. _ 6

_____Commission _____4. - 10
__________Stamp ______- __ 2.
____Cheque _______3. - 7. --- " ____3 -- 12 - "
________________________________1 --4 - 6

just the am[moun]t debited
to you Augst 8

If there is an error we can settle
that when I come to Newport. I thank
you for the trouble you have taken. My
very Kind regards to Mrs Thomas & family

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... [line ? not reproduced in digital image]

very glad to hear that your son is
well and happy. I believe and hope that
he will be a staff to you, when you require
one to lean upon.
I am very glad to hear that
Alderman Townsend was not to blame
at the public meeting. I was very sorry
to hear of the public affront offered to
him, doing no wrong, it was certainly
a most outrageous insult. Knowing
however, that reason, with him, is not
always in the ascendant, I thought that
he, in some sort must have been the ag-

gressor. I am glad to find that my old
p[?en] committed no wrong, that it lay
on the other side. We have together fought
many battles at the Council Board against
as corrupt a crew, as ever walked the
deck of a pirate[e]r[?]. I am for that cause
sorry when I hear he has commited
himself, or when he is treated unkindly.

I saw an account in the
Bristol Daily Press of the result of
the municipal election, and I was sur -
prized to see the Tory head the Poll. I

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thought it looked ill for the general
election; your letter has in some degree
removed the impression.

The name of M... is very
familiar to me, though I can not say
I know the man. What is he ? Is he
a Tory? Did he place so much confidence
in his strength, that he refused to unite
with the other two Candidates. I was rather
chagrined when I saw the account.

The Alderman has for some years
said that he would retire from public
life, that he was sick of it. I somehow doubt
the sincerity of this wish, or rather ex-
pressed wish, to give up public life. The
love of power Sticks to us pretty nearly
as long as any other love, unless it is the
love of moneys and what is this, in reality,
but love of power. There are few, very
few, who have possesed and increased
power for any time, that can retire from
it gracefully and maintain in some degree
a respectable position in Society. Chas 5th
King of Spain, and Emperor of Germany, resigned
but repentence immediately followed
the resignation, at a public meeting
in Connecticut one of the Northern
[ continued in the second portion of text on the next page 24_008_04 ...]

[this follows on from the second portion of text on the next page] charged him with being a thimble
rigger and produced the implements
of his trade. What have you to say
said I that I should not commit
to the treadmill for three months ? I
hope to God you won't send me there,
Do you think, said I, that I should be
performing my duty to my Townsmen
have I to suffer you to rob them? If you
will pardon me I will leave the town
and never come into it again. I agree
to the conditions said I, and you mind
that you observe them. The next time
we met what a change, in one of the
parties however. It is true, very true
that kind actions almost always bring
their reward. How different were my
feelings to what they would have
[continued top section of next page]

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been had I sent that man
off to the Tread - Mill. [in corner of page ] 9B
I see from to days' paper that the
elections will take place for the
Boroughs on the 16th and the contested
elections next day. I do not see
when the County elections will take
place. I hope the elections for the
Counties of Gloucester and Monmouth
will not take place on the same
day for I am pledged to vote for the
liberal members for the Western
Division; but if I must give up one,
I shall give up Gloucester

Yours very truly
Jno Frost
Stirring Times


Vol 24 [at bottom left corner of top section of page]

[The following, shown upside down in the digital copy , is continued from the first section of the previous page]

[...Northern] States of America
I saw the late Governor of the State, sitting by him

- self, unnoticed, a monument of fallen grandeur
or rather a man who had no
dollars, no almighty dollars, to bestow
on the cormorants of America, who no
doubt at one time worshipped him. There
must have been some good Stuff in an Ex
Governor and very good Stuff too, is ...
... to touch the Cap to a fallen Man.


I was once walking along a Pro-
-bation Station in Tasman's Peninsula, a
prisoner was coming to meal, he stopped
and very respectfully touched his cap. How
do you do, Sir, said he, well said I thank
you do you not know me, Sir? No said
I. The last time I saw you, Sir, you were
in a very different situation to what you
are in at present. If you saw me in England
you must have seen me in a different position.
Don't you remember a person brought before
you by the Police Ofiicer charged with being
a thimble rigger? I do said I, are you
the man? I am said he: I am the man. On the eve of Newport fair, a police officer brought a man bfore me and
[continued on second section of previous page]

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[Top right corner] (B)
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Stapleton, October 27th 1870

My dear Miss Thomas,

The information conveyed in
your letter, has given me, and my daughter
much satisfaction. I congra[t]ulate yr
dear Mamma, and my old friend, that
things have turned out so favourabl/y/ well.
Sometimes it is well to take things by the
soft handle. People may say what they
like about the sin of loving money, yet
those who have none meet with stumbling
blocks enough on their journey through life.

I was in the Clerk's hut at
Port Arthur one day, with empty pockets,
Yes I declare so empty, that the Devil,

5 [encircled in bottom right corner]

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that venerable old gentleman, might
have danced a hornpipe in my pockets
without hurting his shins, when a con-
stable came in and said Mr Frost, I believe
you are strapped ? Faith, I am said I
and no mistake ; well said he will you
accept of a couple of dollars you can do
nothing in Port Arthur without money.
I will said I and thank you kindly for
your offer. The next day In taking off
my Jacket the Dollars met and jingled.
oh, said the hut- keeper, you should never
let silver jingle in the ears of a thief, it
puts awkward notions in his head. I have
seen the constable in England several times
and I have not forgotten the two dollars.
one day some months ago, some one knocked
at he door, and there stood my old friend, I
had forgotten him, completely, he asked me
for something, I refused having had for
some time more of these applications than

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I could attend, oh, give me a shilling said
he, I refused, and he turned off. In a few
minutes after, it struck me, all of a sudden
that the applicant was my Port Arthur
friend, I sent my Servant to the Beer-
-house and there she found him and brought
him back. I do not know when I felt
more acutely than when it came to my
recollection that I had refused one who
had done me a very Kind action and at
a time when I needed it.

The chances are that you will never
see your young french friend. From
the Western Press this morning I found
what I had for some time been working
for. It appears that great discontent
is spreading through Germany at the
continuance of the war, and the terrible
affects resulting from it. This is the thing
that will stop Bismark, and his religi-
ous master who has for some time been

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thanking God and attributing his victories
to him. I am of the opinion that it is the
other being, generally represented with horns
and hoofs, that the old hearted, iron
hearted King should thank, for if the
accounts we see in the papers be true
I doubt whether ... / .../... ever
occasioned more misery on Germany or France

And so my little lady you have
been spending some time in the old City of
Caerleon, once the second city in England
many, many a pleasant evening here I
spent, in my younger days, in Caerleon-
at one time a very very pleasant village
but now oh what a change. I have long
thought that what one called improvement
ought to be given another name. I must
do as Malta did with Napoleon; I must
stop him, or her, (I do not know what gender
to give to the pen) or I shall get tiresome.
Very Kind love, my dear Miss Thomas, to
all, in which Anne joins

Sincerely

John Frost