The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-02-24 00:00:00

4 ,~ ---~- prie.ers; yet he trusted -the great proportion of the community would not quietly suffer their interests to be aim/Weed at a certain mit, by the one-laws liras pert of the people. —[Hear! and' loud op. plauses.)—Jlavistg thus stated on this, as well as on a former °Cession, the objects for which he had thought it his duty to convene the Corporation .sad his fellow - chi:tens together, upon constitutional grounds, he had only to recommend to the assembly 'Ovalness in their proceedings, and temper in discus sion.—E Loud applause, which continued for several nannies.] Mr. IVAITIIMANI said, it was already known he had brought forward motions and petitions upon this subject last year. lie now repeated his firm conviction, not only of the impolicy of the measure, but of its ruinous consequences, if passed into a law. The land-owners and the Parliamentary interest were, he contended, the same : and it appeared to him, that a system of conspiracy had beets adopted by Parliament-men, land-owners, and farmers, against the people, to uphold the price of corn.— [Hear, hear !]-1t was said, that the farmer would not be enabled to pay his rent, on account of the high price of land, if he had not value for his corn.— This principle he would not hesitate to admit, in proportion as trade, and the price of necessary ar ticles, would continue as they had been. But if these, and other expences, are decreased or lessened, why olould not laud and corn fall In proportion ? [Bear, hear!]—Let us look, therefore, to the cause of land being raised, and of corn being ~ • ihanced. We were told, during the late war in which we were engaged, that if we but contributed for a short time to the necessities of that contest, all our clamours should be silenced—that we were merely called upon to sacrifice a part, in fighting for the remainder. And were traders, labourers, and the poor thus to suffer, and bear all the bertha', white the land-owner came safe through the trial and out of the fire unhurt ? This was but common justice to expect, and it was unpardon able to sutler land-owners and others, by artifice, to keep up the price of corn coeval with the war sys tem ; and thus entail upon the country the dregs of its horrors, when we should expect to enjoy the bless. ings of peace. It was rather a strange proceeding this, for the Legislature to sot about raising the price of land and corn, or at least to uphold them in value, open the footing they were during a disastrous war. f•t was evident that the evil was meditated by the I land-owners, not one of whom, he observed, came forward to resist the adoption of the measure now proposed.—[//ear, hear;,] —The people, however, must by all possible means resist it. A reduction was about to take place of the property tax, which at present affected the land-owner to the amount of 171 per cent. A reduction would also take place in ; the poor rates. Ile concluded by recommending to the people perseverance and firmness against the per nicious measure they were met to discuss, and trusted their exertions would prevail over monopoly, artifice, and injustice. lie (Mr. W.) then moved a series of Resolutions expressive of the objects of the meeting, ( for which see the Advertisement in another part of this paper). . . . Mr: Alderman Wool) seconded the Resolutions. lie-contended, that the land-owner had been a gainer during the war, while rein had been brought upon al pest every other description of persons. It was true that those who bad chosen to become speculators in land, trusting to a continuance, or even to an in. crease of the present enormous rate of rents, must be losers; but like every ether description of specula- Worn, they deserved so to be. the nvEY, in a long and able speech, supported the Resolutions. Re made some ingenious remarks ',pan die principles respecting population and sup ply, es laid down by Mr. Malthus, who professed himself the enemy of population. This worthy Gen tleman, he said, was very likely to be gratified in his views and wishes, provided the measure in question was ca rried into a law. For as that measure would inevitably produce scarcity, so scarcity would very naturally lead to starvation, and an abridgment of the human race !—[ Hear and laughter:]— lie was sure that the proposed measure was the offspring of speculators and land-owners ; and it was a melancholy consideration, that, after suffer ing the privations of a protracted war, the country should be made to groan beneath a most intolerable taxation; and their very existence threatened, in the proposed plan of uplittling the price of Corn. He 1 ridiculed the Committee. in the ifouse-of ComwtOrPri appointed to examine into the proposed Bill, four of whom were land-owners. Ile would to God, that the ancient yeomen of the country were once more in possession of their 100 acres, and the monopolis ing laud-owner turned adrift. "Then might the blessitvrs of returning peace smile upon the cott ager , and the community at large enjoy the favours of a gracious Providence." [Hear, hear !] Mr. HUNT (of Bristol) called on the meeting to go to the ground-work of the evil, and to give in their Petitions something which was tangible, so that the House of Commons shoild not have it.in their power to tell them that they had formerly petitioned, but had flower proved their allegations. For this purpose be entered into the evidence of Mr. Bennet, of Wilt• 'bile, before the Committee, which he would While,. take to prove was in error, and grossly partial.— This Gentleman, when asked what had been the in crease of rents- in that county, during 20 yea's stated it to he, as he conceived, about 50 per cent.- - lie was then. faked, had the price of labour doubled within the last 20 years, and answered that it hail doubled within that time. Now he (Mr. Hunt) could prove by his own oath, and by the oaths of many other persons, that land had doubled, and in many instances trebled in value, in the county in question, within the period specified ; and on the other hand that labour within the same period bad .only risen from 6s. to Bs. per week, being at the rate of 30 per cent. The satnegentlemau under the article of expellees, stated it to be necessary for a farmer occupying lands of 8001. a year, to have 10 hogsheads of beer, at 61. each, whereas, he (Mr. Hunt) could prose that the price would not be more than 335. per hogshead i and all Mr. Bennet's other ' items of expence were in the same proportion. He wis anxious, therefore, that the Parliament should knew that this was not the best evidence that could he got on the subject, and that it should be contra- He therefore begged to propose some addi :iotta to the Resolutions ,which had been read, or s' !, '~a~.:~ submitted his own Resolutions as an amendment to them. _ After some discussion, however, Mr. Hunt's Re solutions were negatived, and the original Resolutions proposed by Mr. Waithman were put, and unani mously agreed to ; as were Petitions founded upon them. Mr. WAITIIMAN then moved that it be an in struction to the Representatives of the city to support the Petition to the House of Commons. THE STATESMAN: by this measure, no small part of the community, will do us the justice to recollect how sedulously we have laboured to this end—to expose and avert the complicated mischief with which such a proceeding Was fraught—we have not labour ed in vain—but we look at the result of the debate in the House of Commons last night on the subject embracing so many interests with a feel ing very opposite to satisfaction,—a feeling in which the nation will largely participate. We have sym pathised in the distresses of the farmer, who has felt even the war prices of food almost insufficient to satisfy the continually increasing demands upon him for rent and taxes, —we have raised our voices in favour of the industrious cultivator, and acknowledged that the labourer was worthy of his hire, but our sympathy scorned the partial bound of one class of people ; and fur one individual who, amidst the rich harvest which the agriculturists of this country have long Sir WILLI ix Courts said, he was in hopes, that no such resolution would have been moved on the present occasion. Nothing could give him greater pleasure, than when he agreed with the Livery ; but, in supporting their rights and liberties in Parlia. ment, he hoped they did not wish him to forfeit his own. With regard to what had been said as to his conduct on this subject, he reminded the Livery that he had acted consistently throughout. The measure, proposed in Parliament was wrong in principle, and essentially unjust. There was no occasion for considering arguments. When, some years ago, it was proposed to raise the price to Io6s. the quarter; and when, last year, a minimum of 105 s. was pro posed, he resolved to have nothing to do with the business, and then, he belived, he might have used some expression like that Which had beets alluded to. He did all iii his power to oppose the measures for merly proposed, and, upon they same principle, he should do all he co: ld against the present,: There was, therefore, no need of instructing his toilo that which he was perfectly willing and roan to FerfOrm —[Loud applause]. Sir JAMES Straw said, that the evident effect of the intended alteration in the Corn Laws woold be, to raise the price of bread to, at least, the average of the last ten years, which was 14d. and a (ruction, but probably it would raise it higher. It was now proposed td flu the price of importation (or Same consumption at 80s. taken on the average of Eng land; but that average would be, for London, at least 100 s. so that the quartern loaf, instead of sel ling in this city at lid. must he fully 16d. He was decidedly against any interference on the part of ParliamPnt, and, on that ground, he had last night voted against going into a Committee, but was sorry to say that he had been left in a minority of six. M. Alderman ATKIN% was•not a friend to a mea sure which proposed a rise in the price of provisions, because it was necessary to place the price of labour in this country, in a state capable of enabling us to compete with the revived industry of Europe. At the same time, if it should appear, that the agricul. turists, or any class of persons, were injured by the present prices, he should be perfectly ready to take the case of such persons into consideration. But, in order to form any opinion on such subject, it was necessary to know, what effect the peace would have. It was proposed to fix war prices, before any expe rience was had of what peace would produce. He should, therefore, oppose the measure. A Resolution, id approbation of the Lord Mayor's conduct having passed, his Lordship returned thanks, and the Hall was dissolved. Sr. MAlTHlAll.—HOlidikti at Me Public Ojkss. THE STATESMAN. LONDON: YRII,AY, FLBRU MY 24, 1415. ..,► We have today French Papers to the 2'24, and Brussels and Frankfort Gazettes to the same date. They bring intelligence from Vienna to the 1 1 th, and concur in confirming the previous statements, that at length the general arrangement o f political affairs is settled. Lord CASTLEREAGH, they state, has given the consent of Englt.nd to the final arrangements of Poland and Saxony; but his departure, originally fixed for the 10th, was postponed to the 15th. Ire I is supposed to have succeeded in obtaining the con sent of the Allied Powers to the Abolition of the Slave Trade. Spain and Portugal, it is asserted, have agreed to give it up in six years, and it is said that France has agreed to do so in two years instead .of fire, as fixed in the Treaty of Paris. Congress is believed to be now occupied in endea. Ivouring to persuade BoNxeAtm to renounce Elba and fix himself in Scotland, " where a magnificent palace and superb surrounding domain is offered him by England." This we by no means believe. NA POLEON is however said to have rejected every offer of this sort, and to make his stand on the Treaty of Paris, which Russia has declared she never will violate, and so the affair rests. The Empress of RUSSIA was to quit Vienna on the 20th, passing by Berlin to Pitersburgh. The course of Exchange is fluctuating between 290 and 300. The affairs of Italy are before Congress, but no doubt exists that Muarr will be confirmed in his kingdom, and that Austria will assume the Iron Crown ; thus all Italy will form two kingdoms. How far this will be palatable to the people, time only will show. The Princess of WALES lives magnificently at Na ples, where she is a prodigious favourite with all classes, and holds a brilliant Court. • FRENCH FUNDS. 5 percents. 79 1. c.— Bank Achim, 1181 f. 25e. We have long been endeavouring to awaken the attention of the Public to the importance of the mea sure, which the laud-owners of this country and those interested in the sale of grain, who have bene. filed so much during the happy period of the war, were devising to give permanency to the high prices of land and of bread, and who have now, by an expedient not easily reconciled with delicacy, con sistency, or Constitutional usages, almost succeeded in embodying their plan into the permanent and established law oft the laud. The candid part of the Public ) and those whose interests are deeply afected enjoyed, had reason to complain, we saw thousands of equally meritorious and valuable members of the other classes of the community on whom the national prosperity no less depends, sinking into want and pining in wretchedness. We see these patient, long-' At the Levee yesterday, Mr. J. J. G. Ilamwroa suffering, and numerous classes yet unrelieved, presented a Catholic Petition for unrestricted Einai though Heaven, by its wonder-working beneti- ei P ati "? descripti and some Manuscripts of an intere s ti ng on Catholic and Irish affairs, which %ere cence, has enlarged their title to amelioration.— graciously received. Can policy be insensible of their wants, or justice be f The outlawry of Mr. A. COCHRANE JOIINTON E IS indifferent to their wrongs? True it is that many of ! confirmed; it was completed on Tuesd y, being the the farming interest are suffering under the circum- anniversary of the fraud. stances attending the termination of the war; so The Reindeer brig privateer, of Balton, of 1G also are yet every other class of men, the land- guns and 130 men, put into Corunna on the 29th of lords exc Jan. for water and refreshments. She had been out epted who have effected their release , from the only tax which lay with any weight upon 1 45 days, and had made live prizes. FROM AMELIA ISLAND, JAN. It —We Sr. inform. 'them, and from which, by-the-bye, they pretty well ed that a British naval force of 10 of the li ne relieved themselves by the power of re-action, at all appeared off that place, and bad made t landing en times largely in their hands. This tax, which pro. Cumberland Island. The British ft /g had been ; hoisted on Mr. Mil.A.Eß's house. oily about 200 0 duced nearly the amount of the expence of our troops had landed there. Very little corion can whole peace establishment, is now taken off the , therefore be lied, as it is probable that the English shoulders of those who are best able to bear the ! will not allow even a canoe to pass Amelia Island. pressure, and the strange policy is now exhibited of ! The general opinion was, that the Savannah would multiplying taxes upon the manufacturer and the most . he attacked immediately upon the Ararat of Admiral I precarious branches of the national industry, and, at COCKBURN, who was expected every day. Commo. the some time, raising the price of bread ! dore BARRIE, in the Dragon, 74, commanded the The , • expedition. The trade of Amelia Island is thus at convenience occasioned by the late changes could an end ; and Point Petre, in Georgia, Was taken only have been temporary and the natural remedy possession of on the 12th. About the 25th ult. the was known to every body. Now permanency • is to Fret/ode, off the Island of Bermuda, was boarded by in comp be given, by law, to a system which is at. war withi the American sloop of war Hornet, the Constitution any every just principle of action, and which must ag.land another f r i g ate Letters from Cadiz of the . 31st of January state, gravate rather than lessen the evil. The transition that the British Ambassador, notwithstanding the which heals is gradual. This was begun in the promises made him by the Spanish Government, has country. The sudden revulsion which must now not succeeded in obtaining the reasonable demands , take place, will have a very different effect from that of the British merchants resident in the trading pa r ts of Spain. The British have been called upon to pay which is contemplated. Whatever the Legislature contributions equally with the Spaniards, and not may deem it proper to concede to a majority of in- withstanding the several representations of Sir 11. terested persons, there can be no doubt of VA .;ELLE•LF.Y on the the consequences which a law to keep corn above he enforced. There is also some misunderstanding 80s. will produce to the manufacturing and la- about the introduction of British manufactured goods bouring parts of the community. I t w ill b e into Spain. • - copy the f o llo w i n g stat e ment f rom th e Mord ruinoes to the one, and reduce the other to a tear:—" A letter from Morlaix, of Feb. 10th, an. state of bondage and pauperism. The price of cornhin pounces, that 44 the privateer Commodore M'Don. this country cannot be made steady ; and if it were so rough, of Boston, commanded by Captain CHARLES it would place the farmer more in the power of his Gooey/Ice, has carried into that port four English landlord than ever. On the subject of averages nothing prizes, among which is the b r i g Staff o f 14 e , f rom Falmouth bound to 'Jerre. This pri va te e r h as t a k en but a confusion of ideas prevails. The CHANCE.LLOR three other prizes, but they are not yet a r ri v ed." of the EXCHEQUER, Mr. HUSKISSON, and Mr. R081N... Miss ALSON, a near female relation of Mrs. Jos- BAN, we-understand will shortly come forth as a pub lic singer, with a brilliancy of voice that is highly spoken of by the first professors. IThe general topic of conversation after the usual ceremony of " Goad Morning ! Charming Weather for the Season !" &c. it, 46 Have you passed DISH'S • lately ?-he is literally displaying Thousands of Guineas in his window, to pay the Five Thousand Guinea Prizes as soon as drawn, and what are still more striking in the Scheme, Three Prizes of Thirty Thousand Pounds each, with only 15,000 Tickets, to begin drawing sth Atm." HORRID MURDER.—The following most horrid transaction took place un Wednesday se'nnight : —A man of the name of T. Cosgrave, who resides in a small court in Cheapside, has been n observed for some time p ast to h ave li ve d o Yen bad terms with his wife, the neighbours having frequently heaid Cam quarrelling, and she has often expressed is reluctance to cn home, for fear of being beaten by her husband. Between six and seven o'clock on Wednesday morning, a man walking along Cheapside, was surprised to see Cosgrave standing at the end of the passage where he resides, with no clothe: on except his shirt and night-cap. On the man's approach, Cos grave immediately begged his to alarm the neighboorhood, saying that he had just strangled his wife and eat his own throat. The man being much alarmed at this amount, pro cured two other men to accompany him, and all three i• turn ed to the place and entered Cosgrave's habitation, whom tail found lying on the bed beside his wile, who was quite dead.— They found her linen cov ere d w i t h bl oo d ; an d Coivave's also ; nod the unhappy wretee having repeated the same cm nem as before, a constable we. immediately sent for, and he was ukrn into custody without offering the least resistance or making any attempt to escape. The wound in his throat has since been sew ed lip, but he has not yet been pronounced out of danger. Oh the Coroner's Inquest, it appeared .a evidence, that the decealvd Mary Cosgrave and her husband retired to bed ratkr late the preceding evening, but neither of them were at all intoxicated, nor did those who had been with them observe any quarrelling or disagreement between them. Some neighbours, likewise. who live very near them, declare that they, heard no kind of noise or tumult durin g th e night. D r . V o:e , who had been sent for to examine the body, gave it as-his opinion that the deceased had suffered death by siraogulatiou agreeably t o C o s g t:ise's • own account. All th e w it nesses agree d hat db. Peleoher cli•co vered no symptoms of insanity, either in lug words or actie ss but conversed is a collected and reticent wanner.,' The Coro ner's Inquest, after a lung and careful investigation, returned a verdict of—Wilful Murder against Thomas Cosgrave.—( pool Paper.) SON, in the debate last night, admitted that the greatest difficulties existed, and that it was almost impossible to find their way out of them. Why then legislate In darkness ? The whole of the evidence on which the measure now adopted is founded is a mass of confusion, and only one side of the question. It is i now high time for the other part of the public to speak out, and show reasons for a contrary, a just, and a liberal policy. There was a Meeting of the Livery of this City yesterday, in Common Hall vsembled, to express their sentiments on this subject, at which the LORD MAYOR gave, as his opinion, that if the Bill proposed should he carried, it will raise the price of bread to SIXTEEN or EIGHTEEN-PENCE the Quartern Loaf.— This opinion, we fear, is too well founded ; but the evil will not stop there. When the means of meeting this rise in the price of the most in dispensible article of existence shall also be lessened by the combination of calamities that now menace the population of this country, threatening to keep them in a continual state of exhaustion, it is not merely a dear loaf, a war loaf in time of peace, that is to be apprehended, but a general decay of our prosperity, and, alas, but a short continuance of that tranquil order of things which was expected to bring plenty to every cottage, safety to the palace, and a mitiga tion,af the general let. The Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and a Deputation of the Livery, attended by the Remembrancer, -went up with their Petition this forenoon.--They were loudly cheered as they passed along the streets. Thus we have seen the Citizens of Lon don under the necessity of going up to the Legisla ture in a time of profound and universal tranquillity to petition that bread may not be raised by sta. tute to a price beyond the capability of the people to beer!! CoRN-Exco.tetGg, FEB. 24.—Our market was well suil • plied with Wheat to-chit. fur which article there was very tittle demand, mid klunday's prices rot obtainable by full 4•. per guar ter.—Barley esperie. ced a reihiction of from 1-. to .t.. per quarter.—thits is. per quarter Cheaper.--In Peas, Beam, and other articles there in little or no Joiriathrio. SMITHFIELD INIARWET.—Ete. 44. Th tirk ttie - Offel, per stone of Mb. fleet ... s s. 04. to 6s. RI. 1 Head of Cattle this di v : *rittott ..ss. 04. to 6,. 6.1. 1 Beasts . Veal ....7s. Od. to 89. 01. Sheep Pork ..,...os. al. to Is. 41. Calves .... • ID Lamb .. ? Os. Od. to Os. Od. Pigs .... . ri.'U HAY-MARKET. . Hay - Clover .91,.. Sleeve Tie REGENT'S COURT AND LEVEE,— HIS Royal Highness the PRINCE REGENT yesterday, at Carl ton-house, held a Levee, previrms to which Lord ERSKINE was in►ested with the Order of the Thistle, with the usual forms and ceremonies. The Levee utaiiNery numerously attended. There was an im mense number of presentations. .kchn. HALLOWELL, General Sir J. MURRAY, and Sir IL C. CARR, were among the persons presented. • The French Government his loweied the duties on the export of oil Cake from. 4 to 2 Trance Oei decimal quintal. LONDON Primed add Peh Holed by thilith;th a, at the ST AT HMI N °MOO, S 7 rbotamok .4 . 3 ; NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. down from the River ti , a Gulls.—Sneed t h e Foreland. ---The out. Pomona, DA ' ti E l i l l bu 2 r 3 Ue — , f C o a r m P e Ortsmouth ; and the Perk. !wane, Wadham, for Plymouth.—• Several ve.,els working s ar w e an no c w oter foro ff t h t r h o e u ah Norththe ward-hound are still detained by contrary winds. PORTSMOUTH. FEB. 2 3.—Gameinto harbour hit Majesty's ship Bustard. CONVvYS TO THE RALTIC FOR 1815. SHEERNE , ,S, FEB. 22.—The Hearty sloop of war has hoisted the convoy signal for the Baltic, and Kill sail on the Ist of March ; and in future will swill every succeeding 14 days from that date. A conv oy to the Baltic is also appointed to sail from the 1114 ) . ber on the let of March, and a similar arrangem ent made to sail from that port every 14 days. FALMOUTH, FEB. 21.—The Frederick pack et, with Mails for the Brazils, has arrisiod at Hi () Janeiro, from whence she sailed again on tbe 10th December for Bahia. The Lady Lo:lisa packet had also arrived safe at Rio Janeiro, and sailed on the 7th December for Bahia. The Manchester mill Snake packets are missing, the former from the Brazils, and the latter from Gibraltar. t t a a 0 ; "ri `••. 4 •