The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-07-13 00:00:00

`~ ~ ". MOP *4114, Ihg •& AGRICULTURAL QUESTION. The Parliamentary session has at length come to t rio4o. It has bees a very laborious one, however little it may have accomplished in releaving the bur *hens of the people. . . The Report of the Agricultural Committee has row winced every unprejudiced mind, and every mind who has made itaellonemer of this important question, that the present Corn Laws hare failed in accomplishing the object with a view to which they were enacted.— Indeed the very condition of the Agricultural Inter est for the last two rears was quite sufficient to de . enonstrate this proposition. The Remunerating Price was fso shillings, by the Law. Wheat is now about 50 shillings per quarter. But the Landed and Farm ing Interest contended that this low price was altoge ther owing to the importation of Foreign Grain, as well as to the defective mode of taking the Averages. It was impossible to heat this opinion out of their heads, though nothing, in our mind, appears to be more fallacious. Indeed its fallacy is demonstrated by the Report ; and we doubt nor, when the evidence shall be published, that the point will he rendered still more clear. Taking it for granted that this is the case—taking the conclusion of the Committee, which we do, as correct, the question then remains, what is to be done to relieve the Agricultural Interest ? The Committee say that thoogh the Corn Laws have not been found adequate to achieve their purposes, it would be, at present, totally inexpedient to repeal or modify them. The Country ewers with the Commit tee; for certainly, it would be utter ruin to repeal those Laws, however impolitic they were in their Origin, and however ineffective as they have proved in their operation, at this particular period. For though the Quarter of Wheat is now little more more than 50 shillings 6; the Corn Exchange, London, yet, it is rot mach above 30 shillings at Havre or ilausburgh— if, indeed, IC) much. The consequence's of opening t! e ports would be at once to reduce British and Irish Wheat to 40 or 35 shillings. In fact it would be hastening the crisis which sensible men see ap proaching. It would be productive of the most dread ful confusion.—ln short, it would produce a crash, cron the con-equences of which no man can calculate, alit which we now cannot contemplate without stol f:e ing. But since this cannot be done, what remains ? The Agriculturists Par, amend the Averages again— annul the Bonding system—and place a Prohibitory D:ity on the importation of Foreign Grain. This is tie panacea of the Landlords and Farmers. It is in vain to assure them that tisk plan would be totally inconclosive.—lt is in vain to argue with arm upon a point, which to any other man ap pears as clear as the ncomday sun.—lt is in vain to tell them that the value of the commodity will depend upon the demand, and that the demand itself rill be regulated by the quantity of the circulating troidiuni. There is nothing better understood, or more amply demonstrated in the science of political economy tt.au this. It is as old as the time of Home. In the first volume of his " Sketches" is to be found the fol lowing most apt illustration of the subject. We need not presume that he wrote before Adam Smith, hut o e apprehend that in the quotation which we are about to give, the germ and incipient principles of the sub lect will be found : " I put a simple case," says the Lail Justiciary. " that the Italia oar current Coin is at once swept away :"—the very thing that has or rimed by the law ;thick has compelled the Bank to pay it: fit.l.l, and of course to withdraw one-half nearly of the Paper from circulation—" that one half of our Cr.in has been swept away by some extraordinary ac cident ; this at first will embarrass our internal commerce, awl the vender will insist fur the usual peke, which now cannot be afforded. But the error of such a demand, will soon be discovered ; anti the price of commodities, after some fluctuation, will settle tz? M.. one-ha /of what it was formerly."— 'S he v. ry thing that is now taking place with regard to Corn. "At the same time," lie continues, " there is here no doonfall in the value of the commodities, which cannot happen while the ivantity anti ticianneleots- Slane vacuri, a"—as they do at this moment, and as they must do 4,411i1e population and cultivation continue t fl bear the proportion which they do with regard to each other. His illustration of his argument is worth the attention of those it ho insist that there may be found a remedy, a Parliamentary remedy for the Agricultural distress. " The purchasing," says he, " for a sixpence, what fc rmerly cost a shilling, makes no alteration in the ra ke of the thing purchased, because& sixpence is equal in value to what a shilling was formerly." Was there et - it any thing so apt, so completely in point, as this prop.isition, and yet this was written neatly 50 years ago! at a period too when there was no Paper Cur rency, when Corn was exported, and when the Author never could have contemplated the possibility of that " extraordinary accident, by which our-half of the Currency was swept away." "In a word," lie cos-' laves, " when money is scarce, it must bear a high vitae; it must, in particular, go far to purchase goods abash we express by saying, that good, are cheap." Here is the whole secret for the Agricul tural interest, if they will please to understand. The produce of the land has apparently declined—because the Currency has been really contracted :—but the valise remaitis the same. For, to use Lord Karnes' luitration. sixpence is now nearly as good as a shil ling was formerly. Now, let us attend to the mode in which lie puts the converse of this proposition. lie was talking speculatively, for the fact could have never entered into his calculation. " Put the next case, that by some accident our ('uin is jossaatlydoubled"—a ease which has occurred amongst ourselves, •uly with this difference, that the operation took nine or ten years—" the result most be, not instantaneous indeed. to double the price of commodities—a result to which those of its who have not even past the meridian of life can hear witness, has really occurred in this empire. " Upon the former supposition, a sixpence is, in effect, advanced to be a shilling. Upon the pre sent supposition, a shilling has, in effect, sunk down W a sixpence. And here again it ought to be observed, that, though the price Is augmented, there is no teat alteration in the value of commodities. A bullock that sou.e years ago could hive been purchased for 10/. will at present yield 15!. The valet ignorantly think that the rabic of horned cattle has arisen in that pro. portion. The advanced price may. is some degree. Ire ace.misued by a greater consumption but it is Aided, occasioaed by a greater quantity of money in circulation." • t. ~~ \ * THE STATESMA N. Qrb- I tam) , 1e remesubsped by-tip rea r. bett's Regirder, that this is the &units, on if mit t 4 his arguments on ctimmodities and currency.ThB argument, too. is ramified in the pages of Man Smith, Price, Malthus, and Ricardo. It is at all events extremely valuable. as h bears upon our present subject, and as it explains in a few lines the whole operation of an abundant or a restricted currency on the price of thing. It ought to be constantly in the mind of those who argne on sui It points as this. It will serve to remove many difficulties, and it will guide them to a safe conclusion at last. We take it then, as a matter indisputable, that the present low price of a 4 ricoltural prodnee does not de pend upon the Corn Laws—upon a fallacious mode of taking the averages—upon the foreign coral in store, or upon any of those canoes, many of them contradic tory, upon whirls the advocates for relief insist. It is referable entirely to the state of the currency. What then should he the relief sought ? Why, the onl thing that could relieve the farmer and tile landlord, even for a season, would be fur the Bank to stop pay ing in gold, and to cosnmence throwing out reams of paper. But see this difficulty of this. Commerce, it is acknowledged, is in a very languishing condition— People are not doing one-half the business they did formerly, for several reasor.s, but for this principally, because the trade of the world is no longer confined to England—because we have rivals in every market—be cause we are not, as heretofore, the universal carriers of the ►world—because France, and Hoiiand, and Germany, and Russia, and America, have ships, as well as we have —because they make Silks and Cloths, a-ad Calicos, and Linens, and Hardware, as well as we do, and they endeavour to force a market for the.e commodities as well as we do. Because they can go to the two Ame ricas and to China as well as we can—because they ran range from the Baltic to the Arclaipel•ago as ►well as we can. Because, is a word, the commerce of the world has found its level i►: peace. Of course England cannot do so much as she dial formerly, wail of course the English llerchant cannot Soave such a demand for accommodation on the Bank of England. lithe Bank were restricted to-morrow from plying in specie, we are not by any means sure that the quantity of paper which it might put out in cousequctice, would be con liderably greater than that now in circulation. What remains then to be done ? If the only re medy be in an extraordinary issue of paper, and if it be impossible to obtain that issue, It hat remedy is to be applied ? Ciou this question we 410 not feel ourselves at li berty to speak. We understand that the Agricultural Society is busied in draoing up au answer to the re port of the Agricultural Committee; and that they are preparing, next Session, to re-commence their hopelert* war. We shall he curious to see thi• Answer, and still tnore curious to kara the new tactic they ate about to follow. , 1' AM ERIC.I.V PAIPERS. j N. ; T,IgNATIossi.I,ITELLIOCIIIICEI, MAT 19.) The new Army List engrosses oar columns to-day ',- most as entirely as the subject has occupied public at limtion for some weeks past. This document is, indeed, of no little importance to mahy individuals and their friends in a personal sense, not to speak of the interest which, in a general view, the community has in the composition of the army. We feel for t he situation of those gentlemen among the dismissed officers who had consi dered themselves embarked for life in the military pro fession, and now find themselves stranded, at the merits* of the world, with whose tempestuous waves their educa• tion has not taught them to buffet. This fluctuating policy in regard to the army, fixing it at one Session cf Congress, reducing and re-organising (and almost dis organising) it at another, is calculated to render the army less useful, and is seriously prejudicial in one sense, by leaving the whole body of officers uncertain of the term of their service, and in disposing them, by a natural consequence, to the serious pursuit of the studies necessary to make them accomplished is:defiers. We hope, however, tint the establishment will be suffered to remain on its present footing, long, enough at least to afford an opportunity of realising its existence, and deriving some advan tages from it which time li is been hitherto denied for. Alany meritorious officers have doubtless been unavoid ably discharged. They cannot feel mortification at what was the effect of an act of Congress directing this decimation ; and we hope they will find the walks of civil life more quiet, if not more grateful, than these they have lately trodden. The Legislature of Georgia commenced its session on the 30th April—the following is the concluding part of I the liovernor's address on that occasion:— SFS MAT, PROTOCOL ori• TUC ruN VER CNCE, SYPT. " The discussion is settled on the document relative to the forms of Congress, which ought to (i traismasitte4l to the Plenipotentiaries of France and Nisei.. The assembled Ministers have approved of it, after having made in it certain alterations. They have at the same time observed on the reatliog of this document, that it is solely in order not to give umbrage, and not to shock the Court of Prance, that they have not given all the necessary explanations to th e 3d article which treats of the initiative while's the leer powers should take. It has appeared to them ea that account doubly necessary to tix in a very precise manner between them the mode of discussion which they wili have to establish in this respect, sad the difference be tweets the deliberations of the four and that of the six powers, and they have resolved to this effect : "1. That the four Powers alone ought to agree among themselves on the distribution of the Prowler?, become disposable by the late war and the peace of Paris; hut that the two others shall be admitted after wards to declare their opinions, and, f they judge pro per, to make their observations, which *ball be at that time discussed with them. " 2. That not to depart from this line, the Plenipo tentiaries of the four Powers shall not enter into confer ence with the other two on this subject until they shall bare terminated entirely, and with perfect agreement among themselves, each of the three points of ter►itorial distribution of the Duchy of Warsaw, Germany, & Italy. "3. That in order to avail themselves of all the necessary time for these preliminary discussions, these Plenipo tentiaries shell endeavour to occupy themselves in the mean time, and from the opening of Congress with the two others, in questions of a different nature, in which all the six have the full right of entering, as a principal patty in the discussions. These three principles have been designed during the Conference in the wanner lot lowinsr rbe arrangement with regard to the compered Pro vinces, belongs of itself even to ;he powers by whose ef forts the conquests were made. " This principle has been consecrated by the treaty of Paris, and the Court of France has already, by previous intimation, consented ; for, the first secret article in the I treaty of Paris, says in a manner the most precise : " That the disposal with regard to territories shall he regulated at Congress upon bases settled by the Allied Powers among themselves. " The terms rewired cpoa and resolved spots mow, themselves, express clearly that the subject of debate should consist neither of simple propositions, nor of dis , cussivas in which France should take a part. • • • • The document then eonclndes by stating theiliffiralties which would occur, were France to here the prtettrge of objecting to rarions articles while under discnssion. It would give rise to such intrigues and cabals among the petty Princes of tiertnany, as had daring the late wars been the occasion of so mane calamities. it is then signed, ...Mail TEAS:ICU.. A IiDENSERQ. • HCMIIOLDT. • ‘_:. iSiLROUE." BOA A PaRTE. PARIS,JcLY 9 It appears certain that Bonaparte com pleted his Memoirs Well he commenced 711 his arrival at St. Helena) a short time before hie death. Several copies it is said, were made of hie work, two of which were delivered to General Bertrand sulakill. de Mosailte lon. The manneetipt will, mbar, mks/sawn 3 coleslaw. _ _ _ ItXTIACT or A LCTTER JVLV IS•21. Never has there been a more striking instance of the insubstantiality and worthlessness of popular affection than the effect (or, rather, no effect) produced by the account of Bonaparte's death here. The people who, but a few years back, either trembled before him in fear, or hailed his appearance with shouts of enthusiasm, now listen to the narrative of his death with an absence of emotion nearly amounting to complete apathy ; they even scarcely take the trouble of expressing their sur prise on the occasion, and the principal and almost only remark on the circumstance is, that he should not have gone to die at St. Helena, but ought to have died, as he lived, an Emperor, at Waterloo. The people in power here appeared very anxious to gives rapid circulation to the welcome news ; for the day after it reached this, every street in Paris had one or more hawkers dinging into your ears the details of the death of Napoleon Bona parte,pour en sous. Some persons, who seem to be, or think they are, deeply in politics and a know ledge of Courts, say that his death is no matter of rejoicing for England ; for that, although she may save some hundreds of thousands in the, year by it, yet she will lose by the effects of the circumstance on foreign courts, a considerable por tion of her influence, which has not been at all on the increase latterly. She has no longer the lion in l•ash to make roar or 1;1 slip, if events should require it; and to the wholesome fear inspired by which, it in surmised that courtly gratitude will prove but a sorry stihatitute for it has been ob'erseil, and experience has unfortu nately too often borne out the truth of ',the remark, that great and multiplied benefits. instead of pro ducing proportionately grateful feelings, often give rise to very contrary sentiments ; the pride of the hu man mind feels painfully oppressed by the weight of the obligation, and, to escape from the irksome coneei• ousness of the incapacity or impossibility of making a return, often takes refuge in an odious feeling of hatred and ingratitude. They begin already to talk of thr Co ronation of Louis. MUMS LtTTFA mix PART. JCIS 7. " The news of the death of Bonaparie, nide!' was an nounced on the evening of the rstli instant, was eonfirta ed on the following day by the arrival of the English Journal.. This Intelligence, which, ten years ago, would have been re-echoed throughout Europe with so much pomp, only produced a very moderate sensation in this capital. To the Court it was doubtless welcome, if, indeed, it he an advantage for it, that the partisans which that extraordinary man might yet have had, will henceforth direct their unreserved attachment towards his son. " The questions which this event gives rite to, appear to us to be rather dictated by curiosity than interest. It is asked, how will his mortal remains he disposed of ? What are the clauses of his Will ? Will they he pub lished ? and will they be faithfully executed r Where will his corpse be interred?? In Austria; or will it re main at St. Helena ? Or will it be transported to West minster, to be deposited near that of his ronntryman Paoli ? Will be become, for England, a monument the most singular, and, perhaps, the most glorious, which can possibly be itatagine-d ? One of the finest orna ments of scolpture which could be devised, would, un questionably, be two figures, representing Mars disarmed by Neptune. " It is also asked, what will become of General Ber -1 tram!, and the persons who s-re with Bonaparte ? It is thought that Bertrand will he recalled to France, and that the Icing will restore to his rank and ho nours a man who way justly be regarded as the hero of fidelity. " How many will now take tip the pea to write the History of Bonaparte ? His life, however, droller he is no more, i cooseeted with so ►lianv potionages I so many events; so many things, and so many iatessito Rill ex isting, that we cannot *dim that pawl*" bastegua with regard to - • • - • `• I avail myself of this occasion, fellow citizens, to congratulate you on the cession of the Floridan to the United States. Although the anticipated fortunes, may never fully he realized in them, yet their acquisition to the Union and to this state in particular is of vast im portance. They will no longer be the rentlezvons or asylum for the smuggling and piratical adventurer of every nation, nor the secure retreat for the lawless and ungovernable of our state. A further cause of congra tulation is, that General Andrew Jackson, the man of all others who should hare been preferred, has the go vernment of that territory.—Whilst his name carries terror to the Unless and disaffected, it insures safety and protection to the orderly and well disposed citizen. h [►.4o]l THE NEW ORLEANS ca.:Erre.] Mexico, FEn. 10.—The political state of this coon• try is every day growing more interesting, and to none more so than to us who inhabit New-Orleans. In the first place, the last treaty with the court of Spain, has abandoned to the Mexicans, a rich and healthy country of great extent, almost within sight of Mississippi.— In the next place, the Cortes have efttablialled some free ports in Mexico, where vessels of all nations may trade; and where commerce, although apparently fettered by matey legal restrictions, will one way or other find a tlevelopernent commensurate to the rich and populous regions needing its supplies. As to the borders, we will not have much to appre hend for sonic years to come ; on the contrary, enter prising traders will find the means of enriching them %elves and their country,by opening direct intercourse with the Prorincias Internas. But the day will cer tainly come when Texas must acknowledge the same goveanment as Louisiana, or else greatly endanger our safety in raw of a war on that fronti..r. On the score of trade by sea, between this coontry anti Mexico, the opining is not yet very promising. Vera Cruz has been declared a free port, it is true, but the produce and manufactures of all other nations, except Spais, have been prohibited by law. However, we do not despair of seeing before long, our merchants carrying on a direct and very profitable commerce with the Mexican ports. The jealous restrictions esta blished by the Council of the Indies, no longer exist, to prevent the ingress and egress of strangers in Mexico; a new spirit has gone abroad even is those remote regions, where the press will soon no doubt, be put in use in the large towns, and spread far and wide the reasoning faculties and love of liberty inherent in man. It is preposterous to expect that a nation sunk so low as is Spain, in commerce and manufactures, can ever monopolise the supplies needed by another people, almost equal in numbers and superior in wealth ; the latter too placed 4,000 miles off, in the immediate neighbourhood of the territories of two of the greatest commercial powers in the world. The very attempt at such monopoly, by Spain, argues a narrow policy and ignorance of Pound maxims in r.ssornerce, which will occasion the loss of must of her colonies in Ametica. The half-way measure of allowing a free trade in Spanish goods alone, will give rise to a %%stem of (rands en the Onvernment, in car- rying on which we believe no want of hands will be found in the Spanish American ports. In the mean time a spirit of dissatisfaction will spread more than ever, and find its first converts among the fair dealers and all who detest subterfuge. It is not going too far to say that open resistance to the Government will inevitably follow. Indeed, if we mar believe what we have been told by a native of Mexico, who once held rank in the royal armies, the Revolutionists are at this very time in ams, and fighting with success under dif ferent leaders, among the rest General Vittoria. The following items of news from Mexico have been handed to us by the gentleman just spoken of ; we publish them without pretending to say to what degree of credit they are entitled. " Under the Constitutional system, they of Mexico talk with much freedom in favour of Independence In some of the first houses of the capital, no one is received who does not advocate the cause of liberty. " It was said that the Viceroy wished to he crowned; fearful of meeting the same fate as Iturrigaray, he hardly ever leaves his palace, and keeps constantly alHott him a guard of WOO men. The day when all snore to maintain the consti tution, orders were given to liberate the licentiate Rayon, Dr. Mier, (a companies of Mina) Dr. Cos, an 4 Genet •1 limbo. In three days afterwards, they had alrrady joined the patriots of the south where the national congre.s now hold their sessions. The Mexicans are now divided into three parties ; one for Ferdinand VII.; one in arms for independetwe ; and a third favourable to the latter, but lAbottring secretly to obtain their object." It ia reported that on the occasion of the Coronado* of his Majesty. all Illidshipmeo now in seisml employ, who hare completed their time of service, mill bar ad inroad to the task of Limn/mugs. ,_.~►-~ : , I UBLE FORMATION OF THE CO, AT VIENNA. Two documents have appeared, which are calculated to throw au important light on the proceedi ng , of the Congress at Vienna, and which we now I -efore our readcrs. They will see that the Allied Powers, or rather Austria, Russia, and Sl4, adopted an arrangement, to which Lord Coo remits was afterwards Wetted to accede, by whicWit ,- determined that there should be two Congresses • secret, fur regulating the territorial distributi o n themselves, of the Bitchy of Warsaw, of Berman), of Italy : and a public one. to which, after they agreed about tho Shares, Fiance and Spain should . admitted. It would seem, from the Protocol of the Secret Sitting at which this arracgetnent was agreed on, that the High Allies considered the deception of France to be t tially necessary to the Caine they were then pisyit " There would he," they say. " an extreme ineonveni. mice in acting otherwise. ll' France is not admitted . ater the four Powers are agreed among themselves, mill not the less make all the objections which she Oonceivesnitahle for her own security, and fur thegeneria interest of Europe, but she will make no other k - dons. But if she is present at the first discussion, , will take part for or against each question, whethercon. elected with her own interest or not ; she will favour or oppose this or that Prince, according to her parti• ruler views, and the petty Princes of Germany will b invited by these means, to recommence their system intriguing and caballing. which has been in a g reat _ sure the cause of the misf o rt unes o f I s t e years." The._ here seem to have had their misgivings with respect Saxony, the transference of which, they thought w be greatly facilitated by the absence of Talleyrand. amuse France and Spain in the wean time, it ems sary to do something. Accordingly they determine " that to obtain for themselves all the :itne necessary for these preliminary discussions, the Plenipotentir will endeavour to discuss in the wean time, and till opening of the Congress with the two others, questions of another nature, in which all the six hare a right ' enter, as principal patties is the discussion. These documents speak for themselves. One . cannot fail to strike most readers. England, which the life and soul of the European Confederacy, till 1 the defeat of Bonaparte, seems now to he consulted 1 after the three other Allies have discussed and fixed 1 arrangements. The burden of the war and the dim, tuition of the plunder are two distinct things, and our high Allies knew that they could now have the latter all their own war. The discussion became then very simple. When Lord Castlereagh objected to the dan gerous pretensions of Russia, respecting Poland, "My Lord," said the Emperor Alexander, " I have live hun dred thousand men there." The Emperor of Austria had an equally cogent reason of the same kind to offer respecting Italy: and Lord Castlereagh coald not do less for it than sacrifice the pledges to lienos. The schooling whirls they had had in their former partition ing of Poland, proved of signal use to them on this oc casion:— MKS., leulated ceding. OW l a y ie (Ow d P. Castle. Fit sa l m ; one among ity, a n d ley had iald br Sitting le High emit Vl- ring. onveni. ted till •es, she he am' renerat • objer. in, she rer eon. favour r parti- rill be test of It aaea- r poet to would . d. To seem. ermine remary itiaries till the rations igbt to thing ch was II after rd only ,ed the distri• ad our latter I very le din- , 51v •e bun. lustria (TRANSLATION.) AXIWCH TO THE AROVV. COMMUNICAIitM, Vienna, Sept. 23, 11 9 1-1. " I a;ree to the proposal contained in the 'oneself Protocol for the conduct of busine , s, conceirias the ten 7 Allied Powers as framers 21101 projectorsof the Trealy referred to in the Ist Seeret Artiste of the Treaty ut Paris, to be the parties hest entitled and the most pia 'Hied to propose the arrangements necessarily arising not of them. " I consider. however, the arrangetu•nts when su brought fort% s rd, to be open to free and liberal distils •i•iii %tills Ilse talker two Putrers, as ffielar, and nut bus tile parties. " With regard to the expression " lerminc roteriere ment et.tisaytea an parfait accord," I wish to be under 'toed as desirous 01 making even- suitable concession o: my own tient iurent s to those of my etllle.tgues fur the pur pose at unanimity, but that I cannot contest t o b e abso lutely bound by s stiajoritv,an•l mii.t reserve to mysell to make snob statement of my dissent, if ands shunt unfortunately stertir, as the rireninstances utay appear to we to call for 00 Ilse port of my Court. (Sigued) "GASTIARCAUIt. Sees And approved " Ilerriox " Nicest:Lamm. " 111•ouevnratt. " HCMISOLLIT." sr I t A i w g .