The National Register. — London, England, 1822-02-04 00:00:00

SUFFOLK AGIIICULTUIIIL MkEI'INGS. Two meetings were held at Stownsaikrt ou Tnes.lay last, under eit cisim•t SWUM. ut perfect novelty The hi Mas a meeting of 11,e (out re sod Occupiers of L wd in the cu iiiii yof Sutfcik , porsomut to a pun is 11111 l town' of its High Sheriff, Philip B. aura, E.g. ois Run haw hall, near Bury. At One o'clock di. High Sheriff ascen.le. l the lotetingq• which were immediately filled with a 'iambi.' of the ing nobility and cent ry of the co iv. A ownig-t tnelfse present were His Grace ,he Dike of Not E.M.,• the Duke ol Grafton, lair .1 H. Fitz. oe, 1,•.ril C. Fortoy, laird Calthorpe, Lord V.siettlit notio jell, Lot .1 11.'1.nm:field. Sir W. Bottle', ; sir It. Harland, Si. H. liiinhory, Sir Wm. Middleton, and Sir Wm. Parker, Bails.; T. S. Gooch. Esq. M.P.: J. Nl:m.l4,lmM, Esq. M.P., Zee. tee. The HIGH SNEIIIPP (P. !kneel, Esq.) ill openitoz the business of the day, said, that it was with cooisiderablv satistection he isiformed them that little if ffei enct• of opi liiell was likely to exist autiougst the gentlemen who intended to address them. After Ilse High Sheriff Karl been called to the chair, Sir H. Bun sent( Caine fur ward to address the meeting. —He was told that in consideling the causes of, and oe niedieb Mr. the present agricultural distress, lie ought to connider it without any reference to polities. How lie Wa , rigidiy to agree with this soggestion,he did nut know ; lot how were they to understatiii effects without alluding to their Causes? nr hose point out reilleilleS without treature of the somces of the disease I If by inquiry they were to detect the causes of their present distte-e in the acts of public men, how weir. they to reprohate those a rts with out Casting a stigma noon those who were the authors of them? (Cheers.) The care with which some gentlemen isned to keep the c Met of minister* out of sight, re led 1 f the laugnsge of Marais linagruildery, in the play of John What—" Ygoit'll be so good a, Hot tube stroking of my wife in my presence—fur it would not be bre° ttt itt g in me to hear her ill spoken off, a 14.1 1 know you can't spoke well of her animist telling a hig lie." (Laughter.) So said the present su o portere of Ministers; and as lie did not will to irritate them, he would du h 3 hest not to touch upon any sore places. (Cheers ) There were, he {relieved, two points, rind not more than two points, upon which they were all agreed. The first of them was, tuft the distress under which the country now laboured was almost insupportable; and the second, that the nation it either raise its menus to meet the present high 5:511- 'lard of expenditure. (or cut down its expenditure to meet the low level of its ineatie.—lt was unnecessary for him to dwell upon the extent of the distress; indeed it ass too painful a subject for I • follow. 'Die labourers had no employment, because the farmer,. 11.01 tau motley to pity them. The condition of the farmer WAS even worrier than that of the labourer ; and he verily behoved that the tone would shortly come, whim they would be absolutely una ble to pay their rents, rates, taxes, and tithes.—He should take up no more of t h eir title with his olosersations, but should proceed to rca • a series of retiolittions, to which lie trusted. that they would give their cordial approbation. —(Loud cheers ) Mr. J. W. D. MeREsT read the resolutions. They were as fallow ' That the owners and occupiers of land in the county of Snifolls arc new labouring under unexampled distress, which is the more alarming, because it does not appear to result from temporary causes. " That we cannot concur in the assertion that our distresses are owing to an excess in the production of corn: we cannot consider plenty ab a curse, but we fear that a decrease in the demand has risultedikona the lamentable poverty of the people ; and we de sire to Naito) condition of all classes so much improved as to ensure shady prices to the farmers, and employment to the labourers • kat excessive taxation is the main cause of that distress which is crushing the landlord, tine tenant, and thi.: labourer, the amount of the taxes rising far above that proport i o n which gross of the nation is able to sustain, and their effect haring b-en aggravated by injurious operations on the currency of the realm. " That the return from a paper currency to that of gold has in effect increased the profits of all persons enjoying fixed pay or salaries, or places. as well as of the fundnolders, at die expense of the agricultural and trailing interests. " That if further and more effectual measures be not adopted for the relief of the agriculturists, the proprietors and occupiers of land, together with those traders and artisans who are chiefly dependent upon the farmers for their support, must sink into irreparable rum. • That the decay of agriculture already disables the farmers from employing the labouring poor. and thus tends to degrade the condition, to demoralize the habits, and to destroy the inde pendence of the labourer, as well as to aggravate the overwhelm mg pressure of the poor's rate. "That the landed property of England is burdened exclusively with the support of the unemployed poor, with the maintenance of our church, and with wallow charges from which other pro perty is exempt: while, on the contrary, most of the branches of our national industry enjoy immunities and protection from which the agriculturists are excluded. Under this double inequality, they find it impossible to bear that amount of taxation which is demanded Iron. them on account of the civil and mill tary establishments of Government, and of the interest of the national debt. "'Tut the expenses of Government (met to be reduced immediately„ and to the lowest scale possible—not merely by the dismissal of inferior clerks, but by the abolition (Wall unnecessary places. and by large reductions in tile charges upon the civil list, i:s well as in all ometal salaries, and in the expenses of the army, ordnance, colonies, collection of taxes, and other branches; and, if possible, so to regulate the finances ot' the kingdom, that the gloss *mount of taxation may be lowered in as large a proportion as the difference in value between our present currency and that oldie depreciated paper in which th e greeter part of our dcbs has been contrite ed." Si, Rota. hiaHL4ND.—Conctirring as I do with es er% thole that has imen said Os iliy 1101.1111114..11. hiterd Si, Ralloal), I take the tithes I) a lit:C.114111g these tesoln tio .s. (Cher...) Cut d leto gtield, Lot d Dona ich, Lord Calthorpe, Mr. &moot, Mill 1...1.1 lit or. F ey, Iravnip severally ad" dressed ..1.• limetioe to ,11 1 p0, tit B un e ur y. B rew- In: Me. Gittnitli proposed to a , 1•1 Ike folowing to thent : to the want of control over the public puree, whica a l'uniamem free.y elersed would exercise, we ac tibute the origin of our present distresses; and theretbre re. .4,ket dam tile aueutiun u. tie ilonourebte the House of Com hams te.:y ucrected w effat an immediate reform in tile le: the util inesais of saving what remains of our ruperty—ot preserving tile tranquillity, mei insuring the liberty of tile 4.loWary."--(Applause.) thiis natio; been trCeiti d with thunders of applause, and i,avtua been ar•couiled by Sir H. linebeity, was sup ported by the Mike of Grialtam, Sir Win. Middleton, &c. Ake. and opposed by Loud Calthurpc and Colonel Robb brookt .~~ THE NATIONAL REGISTER T:se NICK 511611.11 , 1 , pat till the retilliUilllllll, seriatim, «t• rept that relative to Parliamentary reform. They were carried by tin ImxxtioN. Lord e 4 11OR PB. —I move that the resolutions which the 1101814e' of ha, now read be signed by him on the purl of tiro meetiog. A scene of 11111 u and contusion followed that words call scarcely do inoice to.—The Frseliolders exclaimed they ould Have no petition uo4•w Reform were onhraced in it. awl Om High h.teritldrclainsiii4 he would nut put the question Nom Reform, ot Ira - Toe t)uKi of Noapot.k cone forward, nod silence was parual y restiord. He espressed hope (lint t lie S!ieritf, after the impailittlity is Inch he bad conducted went.' not refuse to allow the *pions* of the meetioa to he token upon the propriety or impropriety of n seism, In liar• hams lit. He !whetted in his roost ience tiiiit a icfonn was the only means left 111 the country of nyerting still greoter dangers than those by which it was nt present bUt rounded. (thefts cher, big.) The 111tH Sit cat ve put aa. end in it by declaring to the meeting that hr coos-rived ilw resolution in (alma. of reforar to tie SO irrev.lant to the business of the day, that he sl Pal take noon hiin.:ll the responsibility of ifeel" gto propene it to the approhati 111 l of 11w meeting.—(Loud hiss. s.) Mr. MEREST said, that after the e pressiou of public opiui 111 l aslaith they ha a jam as it !Wised, they were justified in 1111 IS deo big the regulation as carried. Sir H. But BUNT reinind , tl the High Sherif, that as be had aliowed the respite i 111 l to hr lifikught forward and canvassed by the meeting, tier time for protabt in against as relevancy had guile by. He ronceiv tl it to be rather extraordinary WI the High Sheriff to talk of the irrevelaney of (lie resolu tion 10 the hmiu• ss of the day, after be hail allowed it nut only to he s appiwterl, but also to lie opposed lay did's:tent 'nullifier,: of the assembly which lie saw around Cul. It Usti BROOKE declared I hal the proposed reaolution look the county by surprise, and advised the High Sheriff not to propose it to the meeting. The HIGH SHERIF/ declared, that he felt himself quite petrified by the course panned. He had heard various opi nions as to th • 'propriety of putting the 11 , 11liose.1 resolution. Same gentlemen said that he ought In subunit lite the meeting —others. that he ought lint. Iv, neither of these Iwo pivettes was he to he influenced t he should rely entirely %limo has owe judgment; and that certainly led him to decade, that he was perfectly justified ill refusing ;situ:ether to put the resolution to the (Lhnd disapprobation.) It was then attempted to salami the eighth of the orijatil resolutions to the meeting; but the email-ion which was created Itsy the attempt completely ftustrated it. Finding it impossible to make belle:elf honed upou the bohject, the II telt Slietif hammed Ow freeholders that the husiness of the day wen Cllllritttled ; and immediately afterwards declared the ineetaig to he dissolved. The High She:ilf,, though he had taken this decisive step, still remained upon the hustings, as did also the greater part of ihe requisitionists. The declaration that the marling wits dissolved appeared so incredible, that many of them coutinued their demand Cm the resolution Vs hick was au 01111116011* to the !lath Silent]; others also demande•l that a petition, founded nu ;lie resolu tions, should be submitted to their consideration; and lite cry for " The petition" was in consequence becoming so xene ra I. t hat Mr. MEREST was at last obliged to come forward and de clare, that tie decision of tier 11 ugh Sheriff had prevented them from presenting any petition whatsoever to the House of COMM.IOII. The Moi l SilaßiFF, e s atonal as this fact was made known to him, declared that it had by no means been his intention to prevent a petition from tieing presented to Parliament. — He wits perfectly willing to put it to the meeting, whether they %meal consent to adopt a petal 111 l founded uo the ream mut ious vshich they had ju-t m-s , /1. This speech was succeeded by cries of " The petition, the petition;" as also by shouts of " Y wive humbugged the county, Mr. High Sheriff:" and of " No petition that does not contain a prayer for reform." The HISS SHERIFF aptill declared Ifs determination not to put any petitton or resolution to the meeting which ad verted to the necessity of parliamentary refo. tn. air. M en EST came forward to assure the I I igh Sheriff, that there %%twirl he no locum:latency in his putting to the meeting the resolution in favour of reform. even II gh he was most strongly and conscientiously uppatseal to it. His isigniag,l lie resolutions in the capacity of High Sheriff would by no means pledge him to the support of the duct ineu which they contained. Ile (Mr. Merest) would not deny that the High Siterill had a rich t to dissolve the meetang, if be thought limper t hut he !tasted that the worthy gentleman who filled that face would cons.der well before he detertnitted to take such a step. (Cheers.) lle implored the f1i,411 Sheila' to reflect what a foolish appearance the county would make, if, alter a merlin./ so •riviis and ri special& as the pre sent, every practicable titrja•ct was prevented from being at tained by his fixed deternuuatiun out to allow a resolution to sUunl in favour of reform. (Corers.) The Htutu SitERIFF iig im repeated, that he coneeised the quest of refoim it - revel:tut ; and that he tlierelsore could taut allow it to be put to die meeting. Mr. M ittlesT repealed his assertion, that the !Ugh SlaTiff, in putting Mr. (iraghy's resolution, would not pledge himself to support the substance of it. lie was sure that the High Sheri f, if he gave the subject a moment's consideration, would see ilia inspropiiety of refusing to put the rvsoluti 111 l to the freeholders. Tie Huai har.ntFFagtim. declared, that lie could not consistentiy wish his sense ut duty, submit to the 'Devitt% the resolution in question. It was now generally known that the meeting had been dissolved ; and some persons exelaimed—" let us begone. the merlinl i, dissolved, mil the bit acts utay now be called itt diate operation." Alhatt this time Mr. Kist, of liaisvich, who was standing amid the crowd befor , the hustings, ad& .ssed the High Sheriff to the forowin effect Mr. Sheriff, I maintain that no discretion is lef. to you; it is your duly to put the resolution to the 'sleight:, and to ;abide by its result. As a freeh liter. I say tha the tinacting is nullified by year di-eniceful, shameful, and dishotiourable einiduct."—( Loud Cheri *.") Tilt' Ii toy Sat C. ni yr said he had dissolved the meeting uodet tar impression that all the bullies , of liar day had .1..1..1 fiti4sh. J. lie again asser.eil Its re:Moses% to put tor quo-lion on th • propra ty of embodying their resolutions into a pesstioti to lite House of C•11001011S. (Great and increased culifusiovi.) Mr. Galway came forward and said, that as the High Sheriff was determined to throw every obstacle in the way of reform, he saould now propose, even thou h the High Sheriff bad seam castled the meeting into existeme, that the ureetiog bs defuilved s tu.diately. (Loud cheers.) - v , A gentleman, with whose name we were unacquainted', seconded the motion ; but lifter a short da'aussion, it wai withdrawn by the propo.er. Lord Du"' WWII then 'mired that the petition founded on the seven first resolutions be read to the meeting. Lord CALTHJIIPC sccon.l.ml the resolution. (Immense di..ninfact .) The Il IGH SHERIF? came forty ad, to put the question upon tin' 'notion. A storm of hi..es prevented him from being beard. Sir HENRY BUPIBURY any Wrens, ly happy to BM ih t the freelielders were to unanimities on the miestioa of reforin, eBeriIIIIS as their tienti , , , ents were most C011yt.111:il with his own. With a view, however, to Farah al objects, rte was of iminiun that it woe'd perhaps be better to allow the pr. mine to pass as it originally Witt dr 'wit up (Lund cries of " No," from every past of the crowd, Reform, sir no pr. till ion.") His reason for sits ill_ w was, that the sense of the meeting had tutu so fully and so decidedly expressed, that it must he lelt bosh in the testate and its the 1141100, through sehsch it would - be o Mel) ditseminuited by the press.-_ Whether she conduct of the Sherif f had or bud not been marked a nil partiality, lie would leave to that press to de cide; lie was determined not to expire-sat present, the opi nion which he had formed march.% it. ( Load cries," Let us have the resulutiou far reform." Mr. Ka/4111 moved that a vote of censure be passed upon the High Sheriff. Several voices teconiled it; but it was atterwards withdrawn. Tile High Sheriff succeeded at last in putt bog the spestiim that the petition he read. His swords were an-weird is loud cries of.' Nu pe ttt i t i " and the shuw of hands on the nifirmative side did not itmmuil to SO. When lie put the negative side of the question, every hind, with the eseeption of those ribose mentioued, was elevated in favour of it. After ths decision the High Sheriff declared the fowling to be di-volved. Stilt the requisitionists did not qu•t their posts. Mr.(' ii, Imo es en, left his situation on the hus tings, as did also bird Calthstrpe, who, along with bed Dunwich, had hero extremely busy its recommending to the High Sheriff not to put the reform retiilis tion to the atsembly. Mr. Gooch was accompanied faint the hustings to the King's Head Inn by a considerable put tiim of the freeholder!, who certainly did not bestow him the most Satterteg masks of their'' esteem and Melt consideration," Mr. MenasT hoped that the freeholders would not se parate ooul they were informed that a requisition was at that very moment in costrse of signature, calling upon the High Sheriff to convene a mretisig to take into considera tion the depressed state of agriculture. and also the necessity of a refosui in the Commons Muse cf a Parlia ment. (Loud cheering.) He requested the intelligent yeomanry of the county to come tot ward and to sign liar next requisition. (Cries of "We will, in I Ireds. if it be nrcessaiy." He could itiOilltit them, oil the part of tbe many gentlemen of rook and fortune also hail atiended on the present occasion. as well as on the part of himself, that they would one and all of them be quite glad to inert them there upon a future occasion. (Lutist cheeis.) He would advise them to adopt the saute kind of plan that haul been adopted with so much good effect in the county of Norfolk. (Cheers.) A pause fur about ten minutes ensiled, daring which time cosisiderahle argitisamistatims pasted between the High blies iff and several of the remtisionists. Al last The Duke of GRAFTON came forward, and informed the 'steeling that he had jest been given to understand, that the High Sliesiff conceived himself justified by his own opinion for the plan he had just adopted (and here his Grace observed that he was sorry that lie could not consider the High Sheriff at justified in his :) still that high °lacer bad no objection to attend immediately to their requisition in devour of reform; and if a meeting on dist subject could be legally held that day, his Grace said lie was happy to inform theta it would be held Wattle. diately. (Loud cheering ) Several gentlemen then withdrew to consult whether the Sheriff had the power to convene a second county meeting held on the same day wills a first. While they were absent, three cheers were given in favour of reform --rail on their return they informed the meeting, that miceuriling 111 the gentlemen learned in the law whom they had consulted, another meeting could be legally held that day in the open air. The requisition for a second fleeting was signed by his Grace the Doke of Norfolk, his Grace the Doke of Graf ton Sir H. liusibury, Sir it Harland, Sir W. Mid dleton, Sir ‘4 l . Parker, Sir T. W. Rowley, Messrs. Grighy, G. Webb, and H. Biddle. It was handed up to the High Sheriff, who, upon reading it, appointed another meeting to be held tux with. SECOND NIEETING. After the business had been regularly opened. Ms. lettss - r came forward and isitorined the met-time, that they must begin anew, and go through all the re,oln terms once inure before they gave their sanction to the resoisur iii ku behalf of' reform. lie then read All the resolutions, and tuuved that they be adopted as those of the meeting Sit K. HARLAND seconded the motion. The HIGH SHERIFF, before he put the question, gested to the meeting the propriety of a ailing for the return of Mr. Gooch, and of several gentrt•nien who bad quitted the hustings. He was informed that Mr. Gooch had been sent for, and its all probability would retort' in a few minutes. A pause of a few minutes occurred; but as Mr. Gooch did not make his re•appearauae, the High Sheriff lint the resolutions to the meeting; they were carded unani mously, and amidst the loudest clierriug. On tits reso lution in lissom of telorm being put, a gentleman pro posed that it should be carried wills three cheers. 'flue proposition was Ji rtely acceded to. On the cheers sulosisling, a fellow in the crowd moved, that three groans should be given to the High Sherstl. We need not say, that this psopositiou was suet whir the decided reprobation of the lieeliolders. Mr. Me.sEier hoped that no s%1111)101II* Of itiilalloß would be exhibited towards the Bugle She' id, vhu had only acted as he had done from a sense of dory - . lle respected the manliness of the High Sheriff's character, and the boldness with which he had acted upon his upi of what was right, Besides, as lie had given them an °ppm tautly of canvassing the 'amities,. and espeds miry of a reform in the House of Continuos, the thanks of the meeting were certainly due to limo. He (Ms - . M.) trusted that they would nut withhold from the High She riff that mark of their approbation, which was generally bestowed upon all officers pi esidisig over pin' s lugs. He concluded by movisig a vote of timid Bennet, Esq. High Sheriff of the county of •' Isis cl/IIdRCI ID the chair this day, waif for lark tit their upon all otficeis pie,itling over public' meet- concluded by inovilig a vote or thanks to Philip :vq. High Sheriff the county Sethilk, fu- A. la the chair this Jay, laud 101' the readdie. 9 • • ........••••••11111W0.1 1 0 11 41111 1 mv---- v. as