The National Register. — London, England, 1816-10-14 00:00:00

t No. 453.—V0L. IX. AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS. Having in Our preceding Numbers extracted Evi dence, suflicient to put our Readers in possession of a knowledge of the State of the Agricultural Interest, we shall now confine our Extracts from the Agricul tural Report to those passages, in the various letters, received from the country gentlemen, which relate to the CAUSES, thut are supposed to have produced the present distress ; and to the REMEDIES, that have been proposed, to effect the cure of the evils complained of. bt'SSEX. Jowl Woons.—Yonr font tie question seems to comprehend a groat deal. We flint none more grievous than the property tax ; especially as the clerk to the Commissioners has a power to assess farmers at his discretion to the property tax, al though they can deduct no mere from their rent than 2s. to the pound of what they really pag, and are obliged to pay 3*. 6tl . to the pound themselves the all they are assessed more than their meal rent. I speak this feelingly, for I rent a farm myself, on a lease of 21 Vicars, at 1741. per annum, land tax included. But tam charged with the property tax 2801. per anima, which, at 3s. 941. to the pound, amounts to 491.; out of that I ran deduct only 161. Ws. from my 'Tilt, and the re maining 331. 4s. I am obliged to pay myself, which is if. 12s. more. Jolts ELL/MAN.—if, as in my idea is the case, the circula tion of country bank paper is dependent en the price of agri enlittral produce, and not the verve, I should say—No. If this query means to ark, whether from country bankers with holding their advanees from the tenantry the latter are com pelled to crowd the market and dispose of their corn nt any prier l I have no doubt that, in many instances, this is the case ; best, generally, where the farmer could offer good se• (tufty. I believe the bankers have assisted very mates - hilly, thongh, of course, not in the same degree as they would have done formerly, front the ' , aloe of that security being so mach lessened. NORFOLK. Joint Mnser.ev, Esq.---Ist, A superabundant Id, foreign iinpoitation.-3d, Tithes.—gth, Poor and other rates.-sth, Property, and other war t .-6th, Want of credit.--Ttb, Decrease ot' circulating medium. Rev. T. Joint PRIEST .•••• Many farmers, who have hired farms within four or five years, are linable, under the present circumstances, to reap ouch prodnce from their farms, as to pay the necessary outgoings, expellees of their farms, tie. : and particularly he those instances, which I fear are too moray, where farmers hired without capitals large enough for their undertakings; anti (I am sorry to sayl I believe this is an error, which too many tenants have been guilty of at the time I have stated, when farmers were so eager to get farms, that although they had not sufficient capitals, they borrowed money to carry on their engagements. This I believe to have been a great and miserable cause of the present distress of the farmers ; at the same time I must also add, the want of leases on the part of the landholders, upon fair and average prices, consistent with the probable produce of land, and upon proper lengths of time, proportioned to the quality of the land to he cultivated. Jon eveLL.—The distressed store of the farmers arises, in a great degree, front an unprecedented tall in value of their property having weakened their credit, and is quite apparent in the paralyzed ettorts of every part of the hus bandry of a very large majority of them, particularly in not employing the necessary number of labour( rs, %staid, can only be front the want of money to pay them, as the labourers thus discharged become a burden on the poor-rates, a great part of which must be paid by the fanner; it is evident also, from the diminishing 'umbel of stock kept this year, from the last yi ars return for erasing having yielded very little for he crop of turnips sod hay, and front ;ire want ut Mesh!, to pm , chase, 1 am of opinion this county does suffer materially from want of circulation ' as all confidence is at an cud, and sin one • tan bay from week to week, and country bankers have with draw n every accommodation to all classes of persons. DEVONSHIRE. • PALL S. SAlkilitV. — l have my doubts, if too great a circu lation may not, in some manner, have contributed to the dis tress. Tithes, expence of manure, paroehial and parliamen tary taxes, low price of corn cattle, dress and other luxuries, leave the fainters destitute of means to pay their tent. Mn. 'Dorton .—At this time, a proportion of seven-six• let:Mils out of the annual value of every estate in this county 1. , taken from the Os nets and occupiers in direct taxes; and V lit n the Property Tax, and such Asscss-d 'faxes as affect tin lamer, shall be taken off, there will still remain the old and Tas, Tithes, ( hutch Kates, composition for iiighwa, 4 , wry cures. and the poor and enmity rates, being altogethi r charge of five-sixteenths on the annual voila, without includ ing the necessary repaint. From hence it will clearly ap pear, that your petitioners maintain the cm ligions establisit inebt, the pubtic and private roads, the police, the bridges, and above all, the poor of the comity ; whilst the merchants, the manufacturers, the monied men, unit the holders of public securities (mho eejoy an incomr equal it not superior to that derived from the bind), cunttibutt little ur nothing towards these great objects, although they fully partake with the pub. lie at large in the benefit arising therefrom. Mr. R. HAW Al Ng.—Aitbough I do not think this immediate neighbourhood sullen* from a diminished circulation of paper. yet, so very great is the want of confidence, owing to the great failures which have taken p lace amon g the farmers, that men of the most respectable character and known pro perty, find it impossible to command accommodations in the away they could obtaiu it a few years since, even for the most aitonatl ikitty+ Our Utng, eattOtitution anTi %Mud. MONDAY, OCTOBER 14, 1816. limited periods; which, of course, occasions great distress, by obliging them to bring their produce to market, where there is scarce any demand for it. IL—Remedies. NORTHAMPTONSHIRE. Sir RICHARD RRODZS, Rart. M. P:•Si1011111 a rednction take place in titles, relit, labour, poor.rates, and all commo dities, equal to that which has secured in farm produce, the farmer still of course be as well off then, as if the prices of corn, &r. had continue*, high. Mr. Alla m.—Pennanent 'chef mmt be sought for in an abatement Of out-goinr, which I fear cannot reasonably be suspected, without a diminution of Oriel affecting them. The malt duty, 1 conceive, presses harder than any other, and I would not except the inconsistency of the farmer being call ed upon for property tax, who has only constantly a decreas ing property, and no income whatever to pay it with. R. H DZVONSHIRt. :e on' every tax that presses oninclus- try end agriculture, particularly the duty on small calm car ried coutways, for burning lime for maiiiire, and the duty on horses used in husbandry thew, however, without a great alteration In the price of film produce, will fall of them eel's by the natural course of things, for if no lime i♦ laid on the land for manure, rutin will not be wanted to burn it, nor horses to carry it, or town :Inman, or any other extra kind of dressing. JORX lELLINIAN, Jun.—l consider the distress of the far mers so great, that nothiug can be done to save many from absolute ruin. The only plan that I can suggest as at all likely to alleviate the resent difficulties, is for the Legis lature to protect all articles the produce of our own soil from foreign competition, till they reach that price at which the British farmer, under his heavy burdens, can afford to grow them. Jussm Worms, Sen.—As the inadequate price of produce is too low for the various outgoings of farmers, it is obvious that whatever can tend to bring them to a level, will be a means of lessening the present difficulties. It has been a mat ter of question with some, whether the opening of the ports for exportation for a limited time, with a bounty of 3s. or 6s. per (porter, might not tend to relieve the markets from their ap parent superabundance. For although the prices in Spain and Portugal may not be high enough to encourage much ex port from I•_'oglsnd, more might be sent from Ireland, and thus direct a part of those:sup esrhielt coots inure to clog the English markets. The idea of export would have some effect on the prices. Others j/titosight that an issue of Exchequer bills by Governmenc in a similar manner to the relief afforded, in former years, to the West India planters and traders in England, might have a gond effect, by ens. bling the farmers to held back their produce at time:, instead of gelling, at moments of peculiar depression, or compelling them to dispose of stock at a great loss, when pressed for money. NORFOLK. WILLIAM DVIALL. —Such is the distressed state of this county in which I reside, that I know of no remedy likely to afford sufficient relief: a little abatement in rent amid taxes will nut be sufficient; for, with the present btu-dens upon agriculture amid the present prices of corn, I do not consider e. en gong land to be worth occupying. WILLIAM dAs.TF:a.—lf a duty was laid on foreign butter, cht est., and other provisions imported, it would, in my opi nion, be a great relict*. The present distressed state of agri culture causes a general waist of confidence; and a dimi nished circulation of paper, in my opinion, adds to the difficulties : and this nrighbourhood has suffered much from it. Jou% l'itunTELL.--A bounty on the export of coin, that the surplus quantity may find el market, in order to increase the value of it to a reitium•rating price, for the necessary ea. pentliture fur its produce is absolutely necessary. I will even Mippose all the direct taxes on agriculture to be repeal ed; the relief tbus afforded would undoubtedly be of great service at this momentous crisis; but its operation 'mold not give to the Ulmer assistance adequate to his necessities, and and could only net like a small weight on a drowning loan; it assists in sinking Min, but if taken off, would by no means be abl•.- to save biro. Smear. TAI I Olt, JUIL—The repeal of the malt tax would. perliiips, more thou duty other, benu•fit both grower and con sume' ; but it will not be cifectual without an advance in the price of earn. I confess, that to me. the only method to ensure this seems to be, by grantiog adequate beauties on exportation, and imposing proportiouate duties un importa tion; both bonnties and dimes to graduate as the prices of grain Vise or fall. I tiink by this time it must be al- lowed by all, that it is by a fair remunewting price alone that the British farmer will receive immediate relief, and net by the ammint of any tases that, I'm a lung time to come, c::11 be spared liana. Let u►e not be mi•umdentooel. I du not thiuk lightly of a diminution of any burden which Go verimiebt may think pro . r to take oft our shoulders. If I cannot get a pound, I shall he thankful for a shilling. All I mean to enforce on the attention of the board is this—the farmer grows desperate, it requires immediate remedy : the progress of the abolition of taxation is far too slow to snit his case—before the medicine open:-tes, the patient will expire. J. Morci.rx.—Antliorised by the Chancellor of the Excise quer to expect, drat, should Government beeonu• a bidder in the corn market, the price of that article would rise, and Ilballr• ed iU the same speech, of his inclitqatioss to lay out 14 million.' of the Sinking Fund iu aid at agrienlture, Government ought ' instantly to purchase, so as to clear the London market of wheat and flour. By this process on saccessive markt t days, the price of wheat and wheat dour would be raise ii , and con. sequently all other agricultural produce (so is well known. fennel 5) would feel that hintieuce, earl. as it has been before 'hewn, that a supply beyond the &pawl in the Loudon mar. PRICE 94d. • ket had the effect of a depreciation disitroportitilied to tint cause, and that this effect Wilt communicated to all other markets; so we must rationally concliole that a demand beyond the supply would produce a general advJortement of price, as much beyond the ratio to the mom expended, and that the object in view would lie obtained at a ' , Mail, if any, risk, to the cluniinnity; for, 'you the markets rising to the desired elevation, the wheat and wheat flour should be to sold by degress. Thus the markets would he balanced to regular and fair price between the grower and consumer, and the danger of a scarcity prevented. By this plan a large sum would be directly placed in the possession of the VIM• vators of the soil, a n d their capital thereby enlarged, which would raise confidence, and elicit a guarded issue of country bank notes; but this issue would be partied, because of the restrained currency of the }MA, which is still threatened to assume cash payments next year; the same prudence which induced the Directors to decrease the issue of their paper under that apprehension last, will not cease to operate this year, especially since the rapid and general diminution of credit. This fear In the Bank Directors to accommodate, and the dread of the country bankers that cash should next year be demanded in exchange fur their notes, will permit but a very limited issue, and t% ithout a vastly extensive one, that gnat artificial capital, now absolutely necessary for a correspilliding support to our enormous debt, cannot be ie. produced, unless Parliament will extend the Bank restric tions for five years. REPORT ON NATIONAL SCHOOLS. EXAMINATION OF OF THE DEAN AND MASTERS OP WESTMINSTER SCHOOL BEFORE A COMMITTEE OP THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. The very Reverend Dr. IR IL AN D, Dean Of WelitlithilteT, called he mad exeitined. Are you acqnainted with the national establishment u far as regards the Westminster school?—Very little; I have but just entered upon my situation as Dean, to which I succeeded upon the death of Dr. Vincent, nor base I yet had time to inquire into the particulars. Have the goodness to inform the Committee what M the foundation of the Westminster school?—The school was .founded by Queen Elizabeth. Do you recollect bow it was endowed?--It was modovicd with various lands and possessions, net the schools separate ly; bat the Dean aril Chapter are invested with all the pos sessions belonging to the foundation, they being bound to maintain 40 scholars t h e re. Is the management of the school tinder the Dean and Chap ter?—Yes, conjointly. and in some respects with the Dean of Christ Church and the Master of Trinity College. I lambridge, who have shares in the election of scholars to thetr respec tive colleges; but the general management is local. %t,- have, besides that, 12 poor pensioners, fur whom we are bound to provide; there are also donations of beef, meat, and so forth, to other people, through the year. The Rev. Joan RAM? C IMPBELL called in and examined. Yon are one of the ushers of the Westminster school ? -- Yrs. Are there 40 bays upon the foundation?—Ye.. Is the number alwayn fall?---Yes, generally full, exec pt during the few (lays interval in tilling ap ally vacancy. Are they boarded anil lodged as well as taught at the school?—Some of the boys of the school arc hour& rs, other: come to the school as home boarder*. 1 understand that the statutes allow 120 buys, viz. 10 King's scholars and $0 tower boys t but I do not know that that is the case, the masters take inure town boys, abort 200 instead of the $9 hence It is necessary to have ushers ; they are not members of tire school. . . . Arc the 40 King's boys the boys open the foundation ? Yes. Are those 40 boys hoarded and lodged, as we-H as b lo od, at the school?—Yes; they also halt' board oacasionaly, but not necessarily, at the boarding houses; having been town boys, they TC/111161 half boarders : they sleep in the dormitory of the college, and they have dinner and supper in the hall, and breakfast of beer, with bread and butter if they please. Then they are. not understood to be wholly ut the expense of the foundation?—Nu, at least not by the usage. Do they wear a particular dress ?—Yes, a gown, a e.ap, and college waistcoat. Du the other boys wear any particular dress?—\o, we call thear town boys ; there is a gown furnished once in the year to the King's scholars, but they get also others, tot these are rather coarser than they wish to wear. Then has a foundation boy any other advautAres besides those you hese mentioned over the town boys —No o:her ail vantage while at school. Do they pay like the other boys fur their education F Yes. The same slim ?—l'es. What does a boy pay is different in different years, it depends nlw•n the year; it is 13 the first year, which is the same fora town boy 01 a King's scholar, 10 guineas the next two years, and .ight guineas Cue last y ea r. How do they go oft to cobege ?• •They arc geocrally at the end of the this'll, yllif elected fiir Christ Church, 0 %bird, or Trinity College, Crinbridge I the Dean of Christ Church perhaps takes four or live, as may lir. according to his va• emp t ies; and the master of Trinity, the remainder of the eight candidates, or fourth•year Kietg's scholars. How many scholarships may there be altogether at OzforJ and Cambridge belonging to Westnaineter?-1 be I.eve there is no limited bee; the Man of Christ Church will tale three, four, or five, az hr chooses; they insist to►c the eight betbreen them, viz. Oxford and Cambridge: eight go off every year; they have stsitentships st Christ Church, a 4