The National Register. — London, England, 1816-09-30 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER. SgPTEMI3En 80. e slimily to the Church and Poor, a td not have such oppreisivi , toir'heiss on the land alone. Is a word, prop up, support, and encourage agrimits:;re. whi.di is the foundation of every fabric:, Vie key-stone of the isidependanee and the absolute existene of GJ sat Britain ; Agriculture and Commerce must shake hands when this is done, foreign Competition in nor markets tory probably be no I:mger found; we may (or then we undoubtedly can) by low own industry maintain ours-Ives, and be mad e once more an h 41'r y, indepentiont, esporting •sorn coesstry. HENRY Boats . ' 1.1..-11 . the Bank of England ss(sCe more Vivral in their discounts, it would have the Insist etiret on the agricoltutal, as well as on the trading interest. REV. DR. excess of paper beyond capital, has been highly injurious to this neighbourhood : the circulation was furred, and has of course failed. We have paper fully Wirritiate to our ordinary tr3naartions; but more paper, which was bona fide the representation of property, would give pro portionate relief. • GEORGY. TENNYSON, or LINCOLNIIMR Z.—l would suhmit to the:.onsidetation of the Board, whether Government should Not he urged to take twelve millions from the Brnk instead of six millions, and appropriate half of it to the purchase of w heat to be bonded, and sold out when it would make 41. per quarter. It would not, I apprehend, make any ilitfeience to the Bank, whether they lend us six millions at four per cent, or twelve millions at two per cent. as theouni borrowed must continue in circulation an long as their paper is a legal tender; even if Go vernment agreed to pay them four per cent. it would he justi fiable in relief of the present distresses. Many are anxious for a hOnnty on the espottation of wheat, but though we were wrong in the fret instance, in suffering so large 1 qtiantity of foreign corn to come into this country, we should, I think, com mit as great a mistake by sending good wheat out again. We should now keep it to prevent its becoming hereafter extrava guttly dear. Damn Waan.—Foreign corn should be prohibited entirely, as I am confident England could provide cone for herself. it Agriculture was properly eneouraged. In 1814, when the wheat was only half a crop throughout the kingdom, the price ought to have risen to have remunerated the farmer for the bad ness of the crop; instead of that, importation is allowed, and the farmers are almost ruined thereby. England has enriched other countries, and almost ruined herse fby so doing. The mercantile interest said, that when the Corn Bill passed it would nun the trade et the country. Fur want of it passing two years sooner than it did, the country is almost rained. The mercantile interest now acknowledge, that if the farmers sink, they can only just swim. But now, I hope, the mercantile interest will support the fanning interest, as by so doing they only indinctly support themselves. Was not all Europe asto nished how England carried on the war so long? I answer, it was by the landed interest having so large a capital employed in improving it, as enabled the country to carry it on; and al though the pressure was great upon the trade of the country, still the trade of the country would have beensufficiently eased in time of peace, without allowing foreign corn to come in to r•in the country; for if the trade paid more for their bread, the money would be returned to them again by the lauded in terest, instead of paying for foreign corn, and the money going to entic:i other countries at the expence of our own. If the credit of the country cannot be improved, money should be reduced to tour per cent. If it ran be done without, it cer tainly ought, The remedy that I should propose, is fur the landed interest to he relieved from taxation. Foreign cern to be prohibited entirely. Thomas Pro.t.re.—Under the Circumstances which present themselves daily in every part of the kingdom, it is necessary that every effort should he made to alleviate the distressed state of agriculture: many gentlemen have lowered their rents, to what amount I cannot say, but suppose about one-fifth ; but the lowering of rents will not afford th.- chief that is required, even if the landlords would reduce them one-halt'; the farmer ought, from the produce of his land, to be enable d to employ the labouring poor, or otherwise the country will all be very sOOO poor together. The taxes may be levied, but they will not long be paid—the fanners, instead of being able to employ nod assist the poor, will very soon require support themselves; and it is, I am sorry to say, the case with a great many at this moment: Josue PitIIIEINION.—As remedies, Ist, by the parish officers and the magistrates more strictly adhering to the Act of Queen Elizabeth, (vie.) to not allow a labourer his foil weekly main temente in collection, but to make them ears all they are able to do, by work suitable for them, and only allow additional collection fur the remainder of it; this, like all other things, may he remedied by attention and application is the magistrates snit overseers. • SIR ROST. SRCITIELD, BART.—It if difficult to devise any scheme that does not in some measure relieve one body of people at the expense of another. But keeping up the price of corn will not hurt the whole mass of the people for poor) so much as imagined. Land owners will spend their money at home instead of emigrating for economy. ROBERT BARK BR.--Where rents are high and parochial assessments heavy, the produce of land, I am persuaded, wiO fall short of answering the demands common visor it, should the times continue as at present. But that I hope will not (entirely) be the case; the present backwardness of the season, and, of course, flue scarcity of keeping, t perate upon the rives of cattle and sheep, which causes, it is Mir to hope and es en conelnde, will soon be removed, when the effects at least in some measure, will cease. And who knows what the ensuing summer may do? The price of corn is ailvancieg, though lint thnly ; sn 1 should wheat get up to iiss. or thereabouts, and other grain in proport ion, which would be a nut tirsl toi.sequencv there would he On very great cans- for exclaiming so much acailist `'the badness at the times." Jos. Jas. IlAltPKß.—The only remedy that can, in my opi niun, relieve the rainier and the labourer, is to being corn to the price fixed by the Legislatto e last Session of Parliament, which a small bounty MI eyportation would,l think, accomplish, and also to glee the farmer the some protection for his pro party engaged in agriculture, which is enjoyed by the minim !Milner mid tradesman, us I do conceive it to be both just and equitable that the cotninuttity at large should maintain the pour; and that it should not tall almost exclusiy My on the termer. The duty on malt Is a great erievance to the farmer, it eel: much reduces the price of barley, by lessening the con iiiiii ption ; and oldie:CA biul to pay CU exorbitant price for his malt, which hr is obliged to use. STRICKLAND FRI..e AK The distress of the farmer cannot, in my opiniost, be effectually alleviated until he receives a renintit•rating plies too the proditce of his land, without which no reduction of tayes, ur es en of rent, would, tinder existing irctuustances, for his ad• e.'opj has been thrashed than usual, to raise money fur pressing demands: beewe I shaull list be surprised if something ap proaching toscareity should appear before next harvest; this may raise the price of corn, but it will come too lade; for though they have sold the greatest part of their crop who are farming for a livehhoml, there may be some danger of prices ri•itte ton witch, which will put the Corn Bill in force, and cause im portation from ttioe countries tltat can grow corn without our peller3 j I am of opinion, that the rate at which wheat can be brought in is ton low, and that it ought not to be imported till wheat is 12s. 64. a bushel ; and, if it were possilrle 10 ker p it ilnetnating in our markets from 101. to Its. rid. Compare Giese prices with the present, and see what the deficiency is in the gross produce of a farm ; it is not taking off those taxes that bear on occupiers of land that will give the farmers sufficient relief; he must raise money annually, or he cannot meet his rent, °openers of his farm, and necessary expenditure of his family. Every article he purchases has unavoidably a high money price front taxation, and the lessened value of money, thretigh a great increase of landed propel ty, without an increase of prices of agricultural produce, I see no prospect that the cultivation of arable farms, except upon rich soils, can be curried on. THOMAS PAGE.—As to a plan for alleviating these difficul ties, it is very difficult to say. In the fluid place, I consider the taking off the assessed taxes on am iciiitiiral horses so trifling a thing, that it is unite ridiculous to tall; of it, by way of affording any considerable assistance to the fanner. The most essential service would be to throw the support of the poor on all classes of society in the shape of the property tax ; for I am satisfied, that if things go on as they now do, in the course of a short time there are many thousand acres of poor laud which will be thrown out of cultivation, and then you will look in vain in meaty parishes for produce to distrain upon to maintain the pu,r, a situation which every person residing in the cuittitry must look forward to with horror. The exporta tion of corn also ought to he encouraged by a bounty (when ever the average does nut amount to 80s.) and the importation also of foreign wool ought to be 14 tiled with a heavy duty, as an encouragement to our home growth, so as altogether to raise the value of the produce of the earth ; and I ant sure the sensi ble labourers of Eaglaud (of which there are many more than people are aware of,) would willingly submit to pay an in creased price fur their articles of subsistence, in preference to the m.serable state they have been in the whole of this win ter, and which every country gentleman is England must be fully aware of. Lastly, I would suggest that every county in England should send delegates to London to confer with the Hoard of A :ricultnre or any Committee that may be appointed in the House of Commons to throw every light upon the sub ject, towards averting the calamities that seem to threaten every brunch of sooiety except the manufacturers. Mr. BIRBECE.—There appears to be but one remedy for these evils; and this to be effectual, most be applied imme diately; it is to accommodate our payments to our receipts, by withdrawing warrants and wartaxes. The taxes of 1811 and 1815 are drawn, not from produce but from capital; rents as far as they are founded on war prices, are also deducted from the farmer's capital. It is evident that a continuance of such payments must eventfully ruin the receiver.. THnMAs CALVEXLCY• —One great remedy would, in my opinion, be some modification in the poor's rates. which bear particularly heavy on agriculture; and it seems that many taboo ers would rather be kept in idleness in the poor house than work for their maintenance. _ Mr. Tanstas ABRAHAM.—Any relief that can be given, by reduction of taxes, will be ineffectual; the produce most be advanced, or at least 40 per cent. mast be taken tient the pre sent rents, taxes, and tithes, are.. 44: e.—l know many estates where an abatement of 60 per cent. would not do; but I also know farms where little or no abatement will be reqoired. A farmer near this place entered on a faim of maul. a ye ir at Lady day 1813, with a capital of 30.1.11.; he has lately va- Med his stock ; it is not worth 20001.; at Lady-day 1916 there will be a year's rent due, ■f:er paying whisk, he will only have 10001. left, and in one year more, if things continue la their present state, he will be reduced to beggary; hr is an tadustrious nau, about 30 years of age, with a wife and five :children;—can any thing be more distressing? There are tunny such cases. The di-tress is greatest on arable and gra:- ihm farms at present—dairies and ewe flocks have paid best, or perhaps I should say, lost leapt for the last two years ; but nvery man is now applying his land to these purposes, and another year will put all the farm. coo the same terms; in fact. !there the inotfien rents are paid, distress is general, anti a very ',short time will NlieW it. lam now going to make an assertion which I ran prove, and which the country will shortly find to be the case, viz.—in various districts of the.country, all the stock of corn and cattle on the land is not worth three-fourths of the money that will be due for relit, tithes, and taxes, next Lady-day, front the occupiers of the land—a melancholy truth, but it is certainly so. If Government can by any means restore credit, and get into circulation 31. where there is only one, the thing is accomplished; if this cannot he done ( which no man will for a moment suppose) a deduction at least.from the modern rents, tithes, and taxes, of 40 per cent. must be made; nothing short of this will do, and that the land-owners will find. Let them who still insist on high rents do justice before it is too late, as for any relief from the reduction of taxes (in our present situation) it cannot be expected. The farmer's account landowners must make their bargain with Government; to this it is fast approaching, and to this it must come; and the longer it is delayed the more severely will it be felt, and the greater will be tile ruinous eonsequeiices. I humbly beg to suggest, that a 11111 should be brought into Parliament to enable the Commissioners of all the turnpike roads in the kingdom, to raise the bills elpial to keeping the roads in repair. 1% by al Id nut the gentietnan,the merchant, the monied UM, the coach-master, the waggon•keeper. repair the injury they commit? 'lbis woad he a great reliof to the yeomanry. Mn. A aCii sa--looks principally fur a remedy in an improved state of paper eurreues, and in an equalization of the poor rates throughout the kingdom. EDWARD MOOR.—It may seem a paradox, but it is certain that a rise in the price of critic, will injure the farmer. The capitalist will be betielittPil, but the mere farmer (I repeat it) will be injured, as far us this year is concerned. His corn is sold I, pay his rent; and to meet other espenres he has been foreed 11l seuil double the quantity of corn to mark. t tba: he sends in ordinary years —triple that of his best year , . There is not, I think, a wheat stack in this parish. except my own: nor, perhaps, one of barley or any grain. flow is a rise in price to benefit my neighbours? They have nothing to sell, but they have many things t iso buy, the price of which will be enhanced by a rise In the price at corn—labour particularl. 267 prospect for the next harvest should at any period be unfavour able, I apprehend a great ride. The more that can be now kept back, the better for the holder end for the public. Such aSudden declension in time value of the produce of land, and, of course, of land itself, though not in an equal degree, could out have been within the forecast of the most sagacions. A radius mice would be injurious to the interest of agriculture. These things turn the sober agriculturist into a speculator; and if they be ft elnent, taking a farm will be like buying a lottery ticket. No ton things should be more opposed to each other, than a farmer and a gambler. We must therefore wait pati ently for the gradual amelioration of the condition of the for mer and of the poor, by a relief in the pressure of taxation, and time return of regu lar quiet tim e s. Among the remedies for alleviating the present distress might, I think, be enamel ated, encouragement to migration. We arc overpeopled. When the operations of war and the smallpox shall have ceased fora few this will be heavily felt. JOHN HAYWAI4D.—The only remedy I know of is, to bare corn and cattle sell for a higher price, immediately after an other harvest; I say another harvest, because those that are most distressed have nothing now to sell, therefore to raise the . price of corn woe, would only serve a few wealthy individuals, and increase time distress of ti:.•ge who stand in nmo.t need of relief. I believe the distress tai this part of time conntry is firer beyond all precedent; and most, in a very short time, be to tally ruined, unless an altemation for the agricultural i.ntertat speedily takes place. It some immediate relief cannot be given, the pour cannot be maintained, either front tbeir..egrnings or the rates; the former has taken ;dace already, femur the m ti latter soon will, fro the nimmber of distresses d. ly taking place ; and when the poor man is deprived of employ. and tbe . farmer incapable of paying the rate, great most be the con sequences ; and nothing can relieve us but a ,eduction of the enormous taxation now imposed. STAFFORDSHIRE PUBLIC MEETING. TO CONSIDER THE DISTRESS OF THE COUNTY. This meeting was held at Steffind on Monday week, J. Smith, llsq ' Sheriff, in the Chair, when a most numerous assemblage of the No bility and Freeholders took place. J. Smith, Esq. briefly stated the purpose of the meeting, which he had thought it his dui; to convene, pursuant to the desire of the Re quisition signed by so _respectable a portion of the Nobility and others of the county. He bad only personally to hope that no partiality might be adopted to any particular parts of the county. Sir J. Wrouesley. Dart said, a great portion of their industrious population had long beam accustomed to labour of the severest kind. as attached to the rest rpmandereek of our nweefeetories—the pro duction of iron; these lamions dews, ever congested with their loti and used for such a Inv perri a t u r in ars to the added habits of an industrious life, were mew a (righted spew if vagrancy not only over all parts of connty, but as osummy is large. In their latter days they had a spirit of MIA allie s .---..., sense of honour which disdained th e appearance of nor use their present wretched resources to be 11011111thal hew OM, sideratton than that of sad newest*. before which the ' must bow. If they wanted evidence beyond the notoriety of this a. • they might find it in the actiee measures of different d4 .11 6rti1., ..s viduals, who had spared neither their time, their picrittlr, nor hpt, ' • fluenee, to lessen and assuage miserly which it were imp ossible Ms describe. The estimated number of persons out of employ. and whit& . he had no doubt was underrated. would, he said, excite the meet r painful feelings; they stood et e 5,000! The prices of the necester.tal • • • • of life were ruing, and every houraaravated the mineral distress; be war aware that employment was the grand remedy of the evil. sr.: it would rest with the Committee to give due operation to -tuft views. The spositer then proposed a string of Te4o!!ltieilS. IL J. Lytticton, Esq. M.P. soionded the ris.e. °lotions in a speech of 1 ileudderable force and warmth of feeling. He trusted that the county of Staind, which had stood so ;imminent in the extent, the exi!ides. anti tbessefulness of her manufactures, torah' yet bear her a:.• 71% . 1 1 . through her present difficulties, and ultimately resume her Moe.. ~i• i... tranquil, and independent habits, amid the opulence which she en..:..:. ( Cheers and applause.—.l votes frees the loner part of the Cour: . • ' 0 '• Drop rae /and and abolish MI sint'enrril" ) The Rev. Dr. Booker, in a flowery and heretical speech, followed ::•_ preceding speakers over the principal field of argument. The Rev. N !Nide begged to state, that he was commissioned by Lord Dudley and Ward to state, that he did not consider his ginner sulreription aS exempting him from a general county one, and that he should hold hinuilf bound to join the meeting by a further contri bution. This was received with lOW cheers; and a vote of thanii to the Noble Lord, moved by Mr. Monekton, was carried by acclamation. Earl (lower tweed the thanks of the Meeting to the Sheriff, for his able conduct in eleedilhoir. ( During . ammo peels of the discusaion—a great part of the assem bly co tss.r.tho pi* of . Stafrord—a stormy John Bull tempers =lnt af rns. Mil ilitined itself in exclamations of an opposition shaniessal • len I Landniffint, elks King John, now addressed himself to the Melillo. He said be bed waited some time in great expectation of bearing sem of the gamesmen tell them something about the causes of this distress. But these had been masked from the beginning to the end. It could not be from any difficulty of discovering what were the real causes, because any yawl-boy moll pobst them out. He would name ondesuse of the MOM eft. 4 Tel* was. that every farthing that the farmer mutd mat fats the pocket of the landlord.— (Load ttonstlts off jinn Yee Osiers and tuner part of the Court.)—They address • pilaw so the House cf Commons, to all the wow bud in the Idetr,than t and another to the Prince foe thoeselosure of the Crown Lends t they should abolish all sinecures, where people do nothing for the money but sign the riciikt and put it in their pocket. If they would relieve our distress, this is the place where the shoe pinches. for, as an old colder. he knew a here the shoe pinched—Long and ri. t us applause, estiowpwied by erns of .4 Open the por ts! NO Corti iiiV —lre don't rant sulsseriptkins l law& the rents,. ' 'c. ,tea. The noise and tunsidt became so great that the venerable Pre( le, who had subscribed his name to a liberal sum for the poor, e -.. :is leave. The siimatiires of the principal persons present were by de pees affixed, mid the 51(1 ting gradneW broke up. An intelligent person, who left Devonshire some oil or seven years ago, to reside in Russia, has just returned to Exeter, and gives some interesting particulars of the present state of that country, and the dispositions of the people :—Previous to the invasion, French tutors and do mestics were in great request, and few respectable fami lies were without one or mm.' of them. The invasion put every thing French com: , letedy out of fashion, and begot a decided partiality for the English, whom they now consider as more worthy of esteem and confidence. Whatever may be their legal prohiNtions of English manufacture, our cottons are very generally worn by the upper and middling chimes. The person elk7dell to left Moscow in May last : and describes the w ' -e . .her as then ..... ms wail, WIIICII rir 11 ooligeo lip use. . Slim:must) 1:11} EVlAti.—'llie diatre” of the farmer cannot, is not, I think, a wheat stack in this loutish. except my own; Whatever may be their let al prohibitions of English 111 my opinioit, he ctleclitally alleviated until he receives a MO, perhaps, one of barley or any grain. flow is a rim in remunerating pt/t•e In the produce of his land, w ithent which price to benefit my neighbours? They have nothing to sell, manufacture, our cottons arc very generally Worn by the upper ;ma iniddlina clu.sees. The person elided to left tio reduction of lases, or est.'s of relit, would, under existing bin they have many thingaiso buy, the price a which . ill be . ay last ; and describes thew - v.. liter VI then circumstances, be of mucli a vail tOr his advantage, enhanced by a rise In the price of corn—labour particulail,. Moscow in M Mr. J. Pas istsnlow.--it appt ars to u e that the only re• Hy opinion is, that corn will rise considerably in price; perad- very warm there. The city is about half r"..-. built ; tot merly is a rise in the prices of the produce of the earth; how venture too much. England is not, in my [nimble judgment, as the builders have bk...n left at liberty to ra.asult their this is to be brought about is difficult for me to say ; the war- overstocked with cont. *bough Lon lon, for the reasons put own taste and convenience, it exhibits very little improve- kris for corn have been long glutted, first, by the great ha- mentioned, is. Double the usual quantity has been sent thither, l i: atrtatinns gnOnus to the lust harvest, and added to this since to meet an Impoverished market. A great deal of corn is, I meat ; the streets are as narrow as before; and tax:ly I conceive a greater quantity of grain (lu proportion to the should apprehend, in the hands of London speculators. If our fine houses are joined by mere hovels. •