The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-03-04 00:00:00

I } n THE STATES:WA?. . . • ,i T a M EETlNG'convesed.bv order of the MA. I .t iL elliTit 4 TES of the IND ABITANTS of the TOWN n.l 1.1 RERTY of TROWBRIDGE. in the County of Wilts, :,ii,l held at the (;.urge lon, on THURSDAY, the Id day of i.::irci) Instant, the following Reeolutious were unanimously adopted:- 1. 'chat we hare seen with regret that a Rill is to be brought into Parliament, purporting to be for " the better regulatlou of the Corn Laws." Y. 'That we have with much patience borne the heavy burdens which have been laid upon as during the continuance of the late unprecedented war, which is now so happily and suCcess folly tervoitated. And we cherished the hope that after the glo rious event of a Peace, the price of the various articles of the brat maressity to human existence (of which Bread Corn forms so material a part), would experience such a redu 'an that the o t indlistrio::* mechanic and the labouring poor. hom this Town contains so large a proportion, would raja benefits revolting therefrom. 3. That tile Peace which we now enjoy is of so recent a date, that any alteration of the Corn Laws at the present moment would be premature ; and that if the Bill which es to be brought into Main neat, should peas into a Law, the price of hread would be ).eidanced, that the laborious part of the commu nity will be abridged of many of those comforts which they so coatidently - and justly expected. 4. That as the price at which the labourer, mechanic, and manufacturer can procure his feed is the bails which the wages for his labour depends, every attempt to raise the price of whet he consumes must be felt in the article he nsansfactsrests and by materially raising the price of exportable articles, tend to lessen our ability to competition is the continental markets, to the great injury of a country so highly mercantile as Great Britain, and of which Trowbridge, as a manufacturing town, forms hi) inconsiderable part. 3. That Petitioni, founded spawn the foregoisg Resolutions,. be presented to both Houses of Parliament, praying them to reject any measure that may be proposed for altering the present Laws relative to the importation of Corn. 6. That the Lembers of this county be requested to present the Petition to the Howse of Commons, and the Marquis of Lamdown to the House of Lords, and to support the prayer of them. .. 1. That these Resolations be signed by the Chairman, and published in the Statesman Newspaper, and Salisbuiy and Win chester Journal. SoTbat the Thanks of this Meeting he given to Cs alum By- Tessa°, Empire, for bin able and Impartial ,conduct in the chair. • (Signed) CHARLES BYTMESED, . Chairman. lin. Mails. • 1/ne - -- 0 1 0 Bambara% ..... ante:alas* 2 1 leatcx or wromus 'tot% vast' 3 per Cent. Reit, S per Cent. G0a5..6311 4 per Cents. 5 per Cent. Navy 930 i DAT AT Oirit O'CLOCK Loci. Asa. 1613 16 India Beads 6 8 p limirquer Rills 2 5 p Oinnown 2' d Consols for Ace. 611 TOE. STATESMAN. LONDON: SATURDAY ) MARCH 4, 1815. The accounts we have now from the Continent become daily more conclusive and agreed. Dutch, German, and French Papers to the Rd instant, are arrived. The subjects are still very mixed (sujets mixies), but something like order is rising out of the chaos, however long it may contiuue. The chief articles furnished are, statistical accounts of the kingdom of Prussia as it is now composed, and of the no less, to us, importaut " kingdom of Hanover." Ens. Friesland and Hanover are now incorporated. This 6 one of the new unions which we think is a wise one ; for by this incorporation the Hanoverian kingdom obtains an approximation to Hollend,which must be considered as highly important, not only in repect of commerce, but also as it regards political strength and connection, and the future federal Con stitution of Germany. The basis of the cessions to Hanover was, we are told, settled during tne abode of the foreign Sovereigns in this country. In order, it is said, to satisfy a claim of about 60 millions of dollars which England and Hanover had upon Prussia, the latter engaged to cede to Hanover, Hil desheim and some other enclaves, surrouuded by Bano‘er, or bordering on it, to the amount of a population of 300,000 souls. We have not room to go into a repetition of the indemnities and arrangements agreed upon in favour of Prussia —they have already been specified in an official article copied by us from the Berlin Papers. It is sufficient to say, that by the accession of the Rhine provinces and the part of Saxony which Pi nss:a obtains, the extent of her possessions, which now lie cloic together, forms anu sof German powcs in ttelkwest such as +llbeNse rer there Wars. u The Saxons, however, feel this division of their coun try as the greatest misfortune that could befal them,and France is very ill satiafied at this and the other parti tions. A long and formal Protest is said to have been entered on the Records of the Congress at Vienna, by the French Minister, in which France abjures for herself all increase orterritory, and protests against the aggrandisement of any other Power, as an un just infraction of the avowed Compact of the Allied Sovereigns. This Protest will be an ostensible justi fication for future hostilities. It is affirmed that Denmark, by the acquisition of territory which it is to obtain, will become a member of the German Confederation. In respect, say the accouutithe stipulations ••• in the affairs of - Poland to be settled i e n common be tween Austria, Russia, and Prussia, opinions are much &Tided : the negociations are still on foot. Austria requires the free navigation of the Vistula, which there is a disposition to grant, as soon as the arrange ments concerning the mixed subjects are made in con formity to the wishes of Russia. It is affirmed for certain, that Prince BEAUHAR• !MIS if to have a principality In Germany, for which Bavaria uses all its interest; and that the Arch duchess MARIA LOUISA is to be crowned Queen of Italy, and reside at Saltzburgh. The Vienna letters add i that the misunderstandings between the Poem and King JOACHIM continue, and excite considerable attention there ; since it seems that they will have very extensive and important consequences, particu larly for King JOA.CHIM, who it not )et recognized by several great Powers. The lonian Islands contiuss la a slate of ferment and insurrection. The Eng!hit Commissary has been driven from Zante, from which he effected his retreat with the troops. All the lonians, who entered into the English regiments, have deserted and returned home. Two regiments have been sent from Malta to strengthen the garrison of Corfu. The Montenegrins 'have also risen in open rebellion in Albania, and likewise threaten Ragusa. Great preparations are making at Vienna for pro claiming and celebrating the peace, which was es pected to be done between the 16th and 20th, if the health of his Imperial Majesty would admit. The Corn Bill was read a second time in the House of Commons last night. After a discussion I , of considerable length and warmth, Mr. Lassavork moved, " That the Bill be read this day six mouths ;" which was odgatived on a division—for the amend ment, 56—against it, 21V. While strangers were excluded, we understand Mr. VANSITTAAT moved the committal of the Bill for Monday nest.—On this an amendment was moved in , Mr. BARING, to post pone the committal to Monday se'nnight. The House having divided, there appeared for the amend ment, 44 ; against it, 215. The Bill will conse queritly be committed on Monday next. The anxiety of the public to learn the fate of the Bill was very great. The crowd wishing to obtain admission to the House was so numerous, that the assistance of Constables becnme necessary to keep them at a distance from the lobbies, and the avenues were filled till a late hour. The Members who were known to disapprove of the Bill, and who were seen carrying in Petitions, were cheered as they passed. Previous to the discussion, a number of Petitions werevresented against the measure. Several were also laid on the table of the Roils. of Lords, where, it will be observed from the Report, Lord Gallo max protested, in very emphatic 'assuage, against Parliament placing itself in the very undignified &howl ation of running s race with the people. Notwithstanding the 13111 has been pushed so far o , after what has been shown to be the sentiments of a great majority of the nation in regard to its tendency, and the mode of conducting it (the Minister says, things ought to go by majorities), it is to be hoped that the Legislative supporters of this obnosions measure will pause in their dete►mination to get at nought the judgments of nine-tenths of the nation, and that they will endeavour to devise some other more palatable and practicable method of enabling the people to enjoy the good efccts o( the late just and necessary war, than by raising the price of bread.— We trust they will at least consent so to modify their present rash, ill digested, and overstretching plan, that while it averts the impending ruin from the agri culturist, it may bring no hardship upon the con. sumer. Difficult as the accomplishment of this may appear, it is not impossible. Moderation of proceeding and an ear open to instruction would go a great way to effect it. After the heavy burthens which the late long protracted contest, and, it will be admitted, not the most economical expenditure of the public money, have entailed upon the country—when every luxury, and almost every refreshing comfort is banished from the table of the hundreds of thousands of industrious persons who, instead of 12, are now obliged to la bour 18 hours out of the 24 to obtain the means of subsistence, it would but ill accord with the temper of a humane and enlightened Government to pat bread also be) ond their reach. We have before said that a legislative view of agri culture as well as any other great branch of the na tional industry and wealth must necessarily rest upon its result towards the community at large. Why should it be necessary for any man to add, that those who wish to make sound deductions will not judge of a whole by a part ? No one who possesses common sense will deny that the commercial interests of this trading kingdom ought to be consulted and weighed in connection with the agricultural, and this cannot be done justly without reference being made to the altered order of things, if altered they are to be, as well in this country as in every nation with which we possess or contemplate a con nection. It is clear, however, that the real state of our continental rivals, the advantages or disadvan tages which they possess when put in comparison with oursel►es, cannot yet be correctly estimated, as the new foreign tariffs are not yet agreed upon..— Yet, by these and other nations must our affairs stilt be regulated, nay, much more in a time of peace than even in war. If Government could convince the trading interests that after the imposition of all the taxes and restraints to which it is intendedstill to subject them, their commodities would Mill com mond the markets of the world, then taxes and re• straints would not merely be jOstifiable, but would be the sources of so much more national wealth ; but every thing that is yet known and felt proves that the direct contrary is the case, and that there is the greatest probability that our commerce, even under the present burthens, will be unable to support a competition with that of the other less taxed nations., Therefore, to precipitate a measure so imPortant is a national point of view, as that upon which oar present ind future prosperity is to depeod, mast be unwise in the extreme. The days of feudal power were not those of national wealth, and rain Mast be every effort now to bring them back. The soteesatkt restraints which now exist upon commerce generally, are the lingering and ungenerous effects of ill-ex• erted power, of harm , ' avarice, infamy, and the conflict and competition of rsiltionp, far more fatal than the competition of commodities. But distorted as is the act's' state of commerce in general, in con-1 sequence oflapolitic laws, domestic and'foreign, it j is never too Jatetfor any State to attempt a gradual and prudent epturn to common sense. Because the Congreis that was to make such wonderful and beneficent reforms and regulations, have not thought it proper to lay down any new code of commer cial and maritime law, or system for untex*lg the people, and notwithstanding Lord Came arum's great endeavours, have not given us the very best assurances that could be wished of eternal friend ship and a liberalized view of things,—because that magnificent tree of justice, virtue, and protection, l beneath 'whose ample shade the nations of Europe I were to be gathered and repose in amity and peace, has not, in short, produced one fruit to redeem the gorgeous promises made in its progress to strength,— , it mount too much of the misanthrope to think of turning shepherds or hermits, and of shutting up shop before our names are hi the Gazette. Bat why is it that the British farmer, who has imore capital and more industry, and who is more scientific in his operations, cannot produce grain as cheap as his neighbours? An exposition, if fairly ; made, of the cause of this so much-to-be-regretted Iphenomenon, will show the root and progress of the ; present distressing evil. On a topic which concerns j the interests of all, and which has been mach in -1 volved in abstract theories, and perverted by er roneous or subtile reasoning, we could wish to speak in a way that might render the matter intelligible to the meanest capacities ; and for the sake of per ilspicnity and variety, we shall here give a plain and simple picture of the question which is now puzzling the wits of many a grave politician. We, do Slot mean to try the patience of the Reader, by show ing him how much historical detail we have collected for the purpose of exhibiting what may have been the effects of these much-talked-of, little nderstood, and less beneficial laws, since the luck less day iu which they were devised. We shall have more mercy on the attentive peruser, whether the law has aer not ; and shall merely suppose a case, as the roundest lawyera'sometimes do, in which we pre. imam he may take some interest. In this sophisti cated age it may net be without advantage, or on accordant with the unsophistical wish of restoring feudal times, to retrograde a little, for the sake of " first principles," and original views of things, into primitive simplicity. We have before supposed the extraordinary anomaly of twelve out of one hundred persons, placed in an insulated position, laying down a law kto comet the other eighty.eight to purchase their subsistence of them alone, and at their prices ;--let us now figure to ourselves a community of if, persons, consisting of a Bricklayer, Carpenter, Shoemaker, Clothier, Tailor, Smith, Baker, Cutler, Weaver, Waggoner, Surgeon, Attorney, Victualler, Farmer, and a Land-owner. This community subsists by each in their own line furnishing to the wants of the others. The Land owner lets land to the Farmer at a certain rent ; the Farmer sells his produce to the Victualler and Baker, who again sell it among all the rest; and all the others furnish one another with their respective articles, at prices which will be determined by the wants and supplies, having always a reference to the price of the quartern loaf—say 6d. The Land-owner and Attorney manage the gene ral concerns, which managements costs 51. per annum. Two-fifths, or 21., of this 51. is laid ou the Land-owner, because be can afford to live on his income, without being engaged in productive indus try; the remaining three-fifths, or 31. is laid upon the other 14, who, to reimburse themselves for their proportion of it, individually lay an additional price on their furnishings : but the Cutler and Cabinet maker make a great deal more of their articles than their neighbours have occasion for; this surplus they sell to the adjacent communities, who, on account of their excellence and being cheaper than they can make themselves, are glad to get them, and give such a price for them, either in money or other goods in exchange, as not only enables the sellers to maintain themselves, and itay their proportion of the public expenditure, but to realise something considerable as a stock. For safety in case of invasion, or for other objects, the Laud-owner and Attorney prevail on the com munity to build a wall around them, which costs 3001. ; this is borrowed from the Cutler and Cabinet maker, upon the community's security, and an oblige- ' Lion to pay to them aumially the interest of 151. Two-fifths of this, or 61. is, as formerly, laid on the Land-owner, and that he may have the eclat of , paying the largest proportion, it is made as an assess ment on his carriage, or his servant, or on his hot house; and the other three-fifths, or 91. is laid, by a per centage, on the other fourteen, on what they use or consume, which being an addition to their former expence, each endeavours to reimburse himself for it, by laying it on his disposable commodities. The Landlord, acting upon the same principle, proposes talay his additional 61. on the Farmer, by charging 71. in addition to his former .rent ; to this the Farmer says no—l cannot give this additional rent, for if I do i must raise the price of the corn, which will appalr so evidently to be assisting you to shift the 61. from off your own -shoulders, and dividing it 'ram the whole cornmenity, by increasing the prioe of their bread, that , they will go and get their cola front oar neighbeene—because they won't give met - high price, if they can get whet tier want at • . the former low price. To this the Land-osraer re. .plies—The Attorney and f will g et a la w Passed to shut the gate against any grain that shall com e cheaper than yours; with my additional rent added to it. The Farmer, with some reluctance, agrees_, the loaf rises from ad. to 9d. and is this manner the Land owner's al. which was laid on his carriage, or servant, or hot-house, is actually divided among the whole, and he himself pays no more of it, ex cept upon the proportion of corn which he himself use s . By this debt of 3001. and the artful mode of dis. tributing duo payment of the interest, every J o di. 'ideal is put to an additional expence—and th e productively industrious, to more in P r "P"tinn ts t e ha; ir t i the unproductive; the consequence is, each m us t l ay it again upon his articles; and fie, who cannot l ay it on Isis goods, or has it hot in stock, must work it out by more labour—if he can get employme n t. Labour, therefore, and every commodity else this communtity, costs more than it did before, at least in the proportion of the interest of the debt of 3001., viz.: 151. per annum. After a time, some internal quarrels break °min a neighbouring community, which the Laud.owner ' and Attorney think augur ilk to theirs, and well-reg o . lated communities ih general ; 'aid, therefore, tint persuade their society do go to war with the disorderly State. The conflict continues from year to year with unabated fury, during which time, from •the difficulty of getting grain from their neighbours, the forme r had such a demand for his produce, that the guar. tern loaf was raised from 9d. to lBd., in conseqeenct of which the landlord raised his rents to almost double what they were before. And althoUgh he was frequently told that while their enemy was every I year throwing off a heavy load of debl with which' they were burthened, his community, on Ike contra% were adding greatly to their former debt ; he disre. gards this, and says to himself, this is of no'conse. quence to me, for my rent being almost . doubled will do a great deal more than corer any proportion of the interest of any debt, boweve? enormous, that may be contracted in consequence of the war, NA I may fall upon me. The contending counannitiee, after fighting, ter hausting, and destroying one another till they are unable to continue the contest any logger, agree to be friends ; upon which the Land-owner and Attor ney come into their community, rejoicing sod boast. ing of their achievements, and on the honotarble I termination of the war. tit But the ebulitions of their joy ere uck . sided, than they find that th e dobt eontrOldtbf is not less than 6001. double whet they barrelled'; ~_). and scarcely have they mole Si* AptillVfe4s,i l 9 l Farmer comes to the Lanif-e wiNtritill:looo* neighbouring communities are pow */ in grain upon us at the rate of Gd. per quartern loaf, which, if can. tinued, will ruin me, and disable me from ming' you high rent, in consequence of which your land will lay uncultivated. The Landowner perceiving that this would be ru. inous to him, consults the Attorney, who says this must be prevented, not only because it wilt destroy your rental—but because it will depreciate the value of every thing beside and thereby diminish the per centage, by which we collect the interest to pay the debt, and reduce us to the ungracious task of im posing a new assessment. They therefore agree to get another law passed, pro hibiting the importation of corn at any price, which should make the quartern loaf under 18d. Ascend the scale to the amount of Great Britain's National Debt, and the cause of her lissancial diffi culties will be no longer a mystery. Last night, a respectable Meeting of some of the Inhabitants of the Parish of St. Martin's, took place at Mr. BROOKS'S, in the Strand, for the purpose of signing a requisition to ARTHUR MORRIS, Esq. High Bailiff of the City of - Westminster, calling upon him to convene an early Meeting of the Electors of West minster, in order to consider the necessity of peti tioning both Houses of Parliament, on the subject of the proposed alteration in the Corn Laws. Major CARTWRIGHT was desirous, that the Petition should contain something relative to the Reform of Tasa ation. Mr. STURCH coincided with the Major, as far as regarded the necessity of Reform in that particular; but thought, that, iu the present state of affairs, the Petition should be exclusively framed upon the subject of the Corn Laws. It was resolved that its consideration be referred to Major CARTWRIGHT and Mr. STURCH, to frame such Re solutions as they thought fit, and lay them before a General Meeting, to be convened on Monday, at the Crown and Anchor, for that purpose. The Re quisition was signed and sent to Mr. Mounts, to call a Meeting in Palace-yard on Tuesday next. • A numerous meeting was held on Monday last, at the British Coffee-house, in Cockspur-street, of the ' principal merchant and tradesmen of the city and ti. betty of Westminster, to taking into concii - erstion the abuses, injurious consequences, and extensive I frauds, that have occurred subsequent to the passing of the late Insolvent Debtors Act, when it was (1111. nimously agreed to Petition both ilouv of Fuld talent for its repeal. The public have lost one of their 7'heirtrical fa vourites, Miss Mer.coN having been, )esterday, con verted into Mrs. COUTTS, the Lady of the npulcut Banker of that name. The charitable d:Tosititi: of the Lady entitles her to the good wishes of She is now (he mother-in-law of the Dowager Cee!l - less of Gumneottn, the Dowager Marchione.- o: BUTE, and of Lady.BURDETT. Mr. Coo is ep wards of 80 years of age. I ONDON : Printed and Published by D. LovneL. a' . ST iT 1011411 Orrlcs, $7. Inest-oreei I 1' TI V ha 1 .A ri( ni hr Ai , ~. l I ~~ • C. I, , 1,: