The National Register. — London, England, 1814-11-20 00:00:00

NOV. 20. for, in my opinion, and that of the public at large, all the . evidence condemns the principle, for this plain reason, that they all declare that the rents have, been doubled during the war, and that the cultivator must he ruined if the price of wheat is less than 10 shillings per bushel. Fly this it is evident, that bread cannot be sold at less than one shilling the loaf, and butcher's meat in proportion; lu con- sequence, the present price of labour must continue, which will act against our manufactures in the foreign market ; therefore it is indispensably necessary, that rents should be zednced, or our mechanics turned into► paupers, whose list is far too great ; or to evade so disgraceful an alternative, they must emigrate with their arts to enrich rival nations One of the witnesses asserts, that the land-owners have spent All the extra rents they have received in the advance of all the neces s aries they purchase. This we may aver frir truth, as before stated, in princely luxuries; if the calm rent has been spent, we may presume, that the old rents received, prior to the war, remain untouched by any of the expellees of the war ; therefore, it seems Conclusive, that they have no claim whatever to any advance of rents prior to those received in 1792; as proof is plain, they have paid nothing to support the war. As honourable men, as I hope they are, they cannot object now to receive the amount of their old rents to support a permanent peace. Peace of mind has not been disturbed, nor their luxury of living in any way retrenched, as amongst the other classes of society ; we may assert, they can utter no complaint on that head. '.f"ey have no risk to run, no loss of capital, like the culti vator or the manufacturer of raw matcria:s ; both of whom are exposed to great losses in the exercise of their different vocations. by which their fortune and even subsistence are rnelaugeted, and their peace of mind disturbed. This can not be the case with the land-owners. Their minds are free from any dread of ruin their returns are sure; the rent of lands must be paid, for the farmer cannot remove his in a growing state, it is a fixture of the soil till its na:eral In the event of the rent not being paid, they will seize the teal produce of the land, which has been brought forward by the labour and capital of the farmer ; therefore all doubts and fears, on their part, arc as vapours. But the agents of these gentlemen raise another plea to justify the legal imposition of double-rents. They claim the improve ments which the farmer has made on the land at his sole expense and risk of capital. The improvement of lands, in many counties, mist he admitted, and increase of produce has been the result : hut what has heels the effects of tloye improvements ? The consumers have received a most glo rious benefit, they have been taxed five pence per loaf more than they used to pay before those improvements were thought of! But upon a moral principle of equity, who is most intitled to the benefits of the imprnvement of a farm ? surely, the cultivator has the first claim, for it is ev:dent it was by hi.; skill, industry, and risk of capita!, that the itn provenient of the land took its rise first. !gain, as thug gentlemen claim the improvements to themselves, I should be glad if you could inform me what part they have taken in the improvement of their different estates, as to any pecu niary aids, they have afforded the cultivators during the last 20 years. Perhaps New might imagine, that making the cultivator of their estates pay two years' rent in one, was a i l sure principle of improvement ; cert.:inly it was one of ad vantage to. themselves, but it was must hostile to the im provement of the land. By 20 years' experience it . appeais, • that the farmer transferred the extra tent laid on him hy his landlord to the consumers, which is a fact not to be disputed. By these Meal's the land-holder shifted the whole weight of the extra expense of the state from their own shoulders to. TIM NATIONAL RECTSTfiR. 7(35 those of others, whose slender resources were una'rle to hear the resettle of hunger and misery, tili re!ieved by pauper ism. Probably, Mr. Editor, these gentlemen landlords may urge another plea, which cariies with it a luftines of ex pression, that of being minor kings (,f Ihe 1 1: .y ma y hitve presumed, that even persons looking on !heir lands may, in their minds, be' guilty of constructive trespass: but what must be ,the crime of wishing, m dar i ng to in sinuate, that nature should receive the eame tupPorl for the exchange of labour now, as it received 9:0 years ago, or, in plain language, that we are bound to demand the re;titution of nature's rights and subsistence at a fair and mcdelate price, so as to be in the reach of the money value of a hour ? It is to be hoped, the land-owners will pause and seriously reflect befote they again attempt to irritate the passions of Englishmen by any further acts of injustice or oppression. I am yours, Mr. Editor, AN ENGLISHMAN OF THE OLD SCHOOL. Southwark, Nov. 15, 1814. WEBEC PAPERS„ AMERICAN ACCOUNTS. Buffalo, September 13. Dear Sir,—Onr gallant little army on this s howier has again AT. nalised itself by gaioing a brilliant victory over a part of the enemy s forces near Fort Erie. Two of the eLeiny's batteries wen, curtieti, thts euns spiked, trunnions broken off, and their magazines blown rip. The action Listed more than kw() boon , . We took 'wally 800 prioners, anemg !tom are 1i ollicert. Our loss, except in 01F. ere, Fite _enemy's loss could not have been 'ess than 880 I , q-.1 wounded, and ti•lken. \Vejiave to lament the loss of Lion .Col. Ripley, Col. Asi‘inwall, Major :.t.d a few =t:0.11- tern Officers wounded General Davis of 1-,illed n. Porter slightly wounded ; besides same cfficers, names not Lou a. Upon the wtnle, it was one of the most brilitoitt (1):141.', and auectled',.(: boyi.mi our ltlitSi samAtitie expectations. 'I any cF To M. littchcut;k 2 Esq. • J. B. VA EXTR ACT or A I ETTER FROM OENER 1T BROWN TO GENER L %r% ES Head quarters. Fort Erie, S. pt. 18. TLar General,—The sortie tl.tt 1 kern been contempt:oho., ever since my return to this place was ordered yesterldy. It itiei-..eded. ll'e carried the enemy's . battery, destroyed his battering curin,n, i:114 6lew up a sum* I:ew work which he bad erected with u view t.t . de ,..tro:,iag, Fort Erie. lie resisL.rt manfully but was promptly 0.7(1. powered : I,is lo,s—Say -40() prisoners : hi* total loss callow he !hay; 8)O men. I have to lart.eut the loss of many-g-,11.t0t &firers, Our loss is not numerous, and our streetlh is but little imp ired bv.,the ~•lenidirl achievement. (lesteral Ripley is severely vr,ooided ; ueia Gibson and 'Woud killed ; Colonel Aspinwall li.ss lust an /Mil ; Mud Miti v r TrLaibel 1. hear ) tun:tally wounded. BRITIsh kCCOUNT3. DISTIISCT GENFRAL ORDER. Head ;garters, Cittup bc:ore 1 . ,,rf Erie, Sept. 7. Maier General Do Viattev.lle ;int:, hr n tlifecte'd to Oett.ch a party yesterday eve'rticg to endeavour to cut off the e l tell's-rice,tto. No. 4, rl)orts, 111.4 this %service was (scented isy a cua:oatt..; ct the ti , ll reci meta, and one of the G:ettg.kry 1 i;ltt I:dAtsfr.. jawed hy t:tclantry sicquet at Plato-vs, and the dt-tachatent of the 1911. !..,;(.11'. m 'rus t nder Ca rein Eusta..-e, ,he :whole under th , !. commtt,td of t•-pf:,•u k P'terson, ti!tr egit;.ent, and cenductcd by Calstilin Powe;l, Taie enemy's I,lcquet •j"ii.si Assistan• Quartel-lin,ter•(;t wits suyrised dav-rieht this mr:ni: - .17: of its advanced p . srtv, which cotoisted 'JO luta% a d -6;c:or. not tole escaped; 14, inch:dim!. the officer, being killetl, and 7 w0un0...11 taken prisoners. The ut..in body Of the picuilet der! t-wJrtts , tht fort., pursued by our tro o ps c.‘s:e undr r the :.Jets r.f tt , e ohico, told must have sirlfered very ceitsiderab v from our 6.e. Our Itifis has b, t u o w l kided, awl 1 F.l;ghtiv The conduct of this hula entvrn.ne rt tlects great credit r:ot only t~tt Cavoia Pitictsun f cutaimuiding the dct.:Linnent, and on dac o;