Chapter 138: Dickens’s Request
Chapter 138 – Dickens’ Request
4 Whitehall Street, in the third floor offices of the Greater London Police Department.
Arthur stood in this office, which originally belonged to Superintendent Taylor Clemens, and his eyes passed through the clear glass windows, taking in the distant traffic of Trafalgar Square, the Houses of Parliament, St. Martin’s Church, and the boulevard in front of Buckingham Palace.
Here was the heart of all Great Britain, and Arthur, at that moment, was standing on his feet as one of the insignificant components of that heart.
Agareth had both feet on his desk, reclining comfortably in his chair, and the Red Devil reached out with his long, slender fingertips to clip the book on his desk, a copy of John Locke’s Treatise of Government.
He opened the book casually, flipping to where Arthur had bookmarked it, and read aloud the words on it with muddled indifference.
“In taking part in society, each individual hands over to it some power, which cannot revert to the individual so long as society does not disappear, but remains in it. For if this were not the case, there would be no society and no state, and this is contrary to the original agreement.
If, therefore, society has given the legislative powers to a parliament, which is composed of a number of persons, who will continue to exercise them and their successors, and has given to the parliament the scope and competence to produce successors, the legislative powers cannot revert to the people so long as the government does not disappear.
Because they have empowered the legislature, and kept it in existence forever, the political power which the people have relinquished cannot be recovered ……”
The Red Devil read this and tsked twice.
“You’re reading this kind of stuff again. Does it do anything for your bright future? John Locke wrote this book in the first place to suggest to the reader that the then King James II had violated the logic of a proper government.
While I won’t deny that part of the book’s logic is close to the truth, so what? The existence of Wellington’s cabinet is good for you, and it’s hard to believe that you’re going to play against them?
Besides, if Wellington’s cabinet violates its logic as a proper government, then the Whig cabinet born under the same set of electoral criteria should also be improper ……”
Agareth chanted to himself, when suddenly, the Red Devil’s brow furrowed, “Wait a minute …… Arthur, what the hell were you thinking, you little shit?”
Arthur twisted his head and glanced at him, “I don’t mean anything, I’m just reading. London has been fairly peaceful lately, but it’s just the calm before the storm, can’t you smell the gunpowder in the air?
Although the Duke of Wellington is thinking of dragging out this cabinet at least until the general election, I heard from Charles, who has been doing parliamentary interviews for a while now, that it seems like Earl Grey, the leader of the Whig party, isn’t even going to give him a month or two of this.
It seems that Earl Grey has ordered Lord Russell to unite the party MPs with the independent MPs as soon as possible, with the intention of initiating a resolution of no confidence in the Wellington cabinet. Once the resolution is passed, the cabinet will immediately collapse and the general election will be brought forward.
But the trouble is, even if the Whigs win the election and form a cabinet, they only control a majority of the seats in the lower house and half of the legislative power. The House of Lords, which is made up of the nobility, is still firmly in the hands of the Tories, and according to the current tendency of the Tories within the party, it is unlikely that they will make any concessions on the issue of parliamentary reform.
If the Whigs put forward a motion for parliamentary reform in the House of Commons, it is almost certain that it will be defeated in the House of Lords. So one way or the other, what problems do you think will happen when the news gets out?”
Agareth pushed up his glasses and reopened the book, A Treatise on Government, “Are you saying that you’re worried about an internal revolution breaking out, or more simply and directly, you’re worried about the possibility of a civil war opening up?”
Arthur shook his head, “Not as serious as that. Thank goodness it’s England and not Russia, if it was Czarist Russia, or Ottoman Turkey, I can’t think of exactly how to solve the problem other than a civil war.
Mind you, I didn’t spend four years in the history department of the University of London for nothing. In the historical experience of Great Britain alone, since the Glorious Revolution, whenever we have come to the brink of civil war, there have always been sacrificial politicians who have come forward to solve the problem.
The Duke of Wellington, for example, during the last Catholic Emancipation Act, would not be in the position he is in today if he had not made compromises and concessions. I’ve heard that Mr. Wellington has been disturbed by protesters going to his door in the middle of the night and smashing his window panes, but he’s still doing his best to keep his temper in check.
I don’t know if Mr. Duke’s reluctance to continue to make concessions on reforms is because he’s really that stubborn, or if he’s been hurt so badly by the Catholic Emancipation Act that he doesn’t dare to step out of line anymore.
But whatever the case, whether from admiration of the Duke of Wellington’s spirit of sacrifice, or from gratitude for the Catholic Emancipation Act which has enabled me to take up a high post in Scotland Yard, I really ought to do something for the Tories, and I owe a debt of gratitude to the Duke of Wellington and to Sir Peel.” The Red Devil picked up the sugar jar on Arthur’s desk and poured all the sugar cubes inside into his mouth, he chewed on it while analyzing, “So that’s why you went to Peel and asked for the establishment of that what’s-his-name Bureau of Investigation?”
Arthur shook his head, “Not exactly. Like I said, I didn’t learn my history for nothing. From what I know about the history of the Tories and the Whigs, although the Tories, who were formerly the royalist party, also use violence, they generally favor peace and order in non-essential situations.
What is more, in their handling of the question of Catholic Emancipation, the Duke of Wellington and Lord Peel showed me their full vigor as distinguished statesmen. Even if I do not agree with them on all questions, I am satisfied that the Tories are gradually moving towards leniency and openness under them. The general direction of the Tory party is changing since the Cato Street conspiracy of 1820.
First came the Slavery Act, then the repeal of the Prohibition of Workmen’s Associations Act, then the reform of the Grain Act to reduce the retail price of food in the country, the cutting of tariffs on various imports and the gradual repeal of the Navigation Acts, the creation of the Greater London Police Authority in an attempt to reduce the crime rate, the repeal of the Blood Acts to cut down on the number of death penalties, the liberalization of censorship, freedom of speech and the reinstatement of the writ of Habeas Corpus and, of course. And of course, the Catholic Emancipation Act, which took nearly thirty years to finalize.
I can’t say that these things had an immediate effect, or even that the reforms to the Grain Act didn’t have the desired effect, but at least I can see that the Tories did want to do something for this country. Perhaps this party is not to be trusted, but I trust Sir Peel and the Duke of Wellington who are leading it forward.”
Hearing this, the Red Devil couldn’t help but grin, “What about the Whigs? Aren’t they worth trusting?”
“The Whigs?”
When Arthur heard this, he couldn’t help but purse his lips, “The Whig Party, which has Protector Cromwell as its spiritual leader, is of course tainted with Cromwell’s temper that likes to execute others at will. If the Whigs come to power and there are riots in the country, I have considerable misgivings about whether the problem can be resolved peacefully.
What’s more, the Tory MPs who advocated the use of the army to suppress the Peterloo Incident and introduced the six high-handed decrees are now almost entirely in favor of the Whigs. If they do come to power, I’m really not too worried.”
Agares didn’t say anything when he heard this, and the Red Devil just raised an eyebrow and snapped his fingers, after which he saw a red apple with ‘Fred’s’ face change out of his palm.
He took a bite, and along with the apple’s wail of pain and the devil’s malice-filled loud chewing sound, blood flowed down the corners of his mouth.
Agares touched his stomach and burped, then self-consciously gave way to his office chair and spoke lazily, “Looks like someone’s looking for you.”
As soon as the devil’s words left his mouth, he heard a knock on the door indoors.
Arthur opened his mouth and shouted, “Come in.”
The door to the office was pushed open, and outside stood a Tom and Tony, who had been transferred by Arthur to the office of the police department, and Dickens, who had been escorted all the way here by the two of them, clutching a green canvas bag in his hands.
Dickens let out a sharp breath when he saw Arthur sitting across the desk, a more relaxed smile on his face.
“Arthur, it’s really you! I thought the two of them were lying to me at first. I knew that in this world, good people will surely be rewarded, and you’ve been promoted too fast. Thank goodness God is watching over us, and it is exactly his mission to punish the evil and promote the good.”
Arthur sniffed and did not respond positively, he just smiled and said, “Charles, you overestimate me. I’m not much of a good person, and although I try my best to be a good person, I think to myself that right now, I’m just not as completely bad as I could be.”
But Dickens obviously didn’t take Arthur’s words seriously, he took out a manuscript from his own bag and laid it in front of Arthur, staring at him with a nervous face, “Let’s not talk about this for a while, look at this for me, what do you think of what I’ve written?”
(End of chapter)