The Statesman. — London, England, 1815-01-11 00:00:00

--""" - SOMERSET COU.V7'Y .11RE77NG. - Monday, the fhlt instant, a nitmerong and liigl.lv r( ,pertable Meeting of Freeltoblet4, Owners and )ttupiers of Land, in the County Of Somerset, took place at Wells, agreeably to public advertisement, " to take into consideration the propriety of present a Petition to Parliament for the Pi.?peal of the Property Ts x." ALI,Lx,-F.sq. the High Sheriff, opened the bii.incis by explaining the object awl intoot of the Riveting. Mr. Wm. Thvrrt xc, then addressed the fleeting. began lay apologising for atraing . ltimscif on the M..;•ti.tg, wit g of such cousequence, in point of ;:i. , ,:;rty or talent, as some present ; hut, front tile ti:,nu:atice of his bciu one of the Commissionets I , s the T.,x, lie had land too many proofs of its op. plessi‘e rioricquctices. Ito d(preeated the 'fax in csery form, and tine gl.l to find that the sprit of o;ipositicn to it uas becoming universal; be felt peat pleasure in lilting this opportunity of lifting up his voice ngaiust it, declaring he was the first to call for wad sign the teg u i.i s itivn ; and concluded by saying, it 00 ; ,,,ht to /seas, oil the title of April, as expressed by the .tct. Ile 11... it fote mosed,•&e. Mr. Bot T her Commi , sioner ander the Tax) deprecated 01.1 Tux itt the strongest terms, and ripe ( d aitlt his i•tothir Ciat mi::.sioner, that it swat to' !Vt., and ought to be abolished, to tie pliticularly as we are now at peace with all the Mr. llcs - r then addressed the Meeting. lie began by sa) ing that he felt nu difficulty in coming before them on this (Tension, however humble his efforts; however small his property ; yet, as possessing pro pretty in that County, he did not feel, and he trusted he.never should feel it necessary,- as au Englishman, to apologize for offering his sciitiments, the dictates of his heart, on a great National Question, for the consideration of his Countrymen.—Gentlemen, said be, I not only congratalate you upon the respectable appearance of this Meeting, but I also congratulate you upon its probable result. You have heard the .Petition read, supported, and seconded in the most manly way, by two of the Commissioners of the Property Tax ; which Petition distinctly prays that this odious Tax shall not be renewed or continued under any modification whatsoever.—Wheo I first read the requisition, stating, that this Meeting was called for the purpose of petitioning Parliament for a modification of this Tax in favour of a particular class (the Landed Interest), to the exclusion of the rest of the oppressed community, I took the liberty in a public letter to call the attention of the whole Cl:uisty to the circumstance, and I came prepared tea mos.( an Amendment against any measure that had for its object a partial repeal of this Tax in favour of Rey parti( sitar class, under any modification what ever. It is with pride and pleasure I congratulate you upon an event which renders this unnecessary ; since I attired here the gentlemen who signed the Requisition, anal who base brought forward the pre sect motion, havjog waited upon me and consented to .n. - . l .‘e the prayer of their Petitiou what it is, 1 give . it my most hearty cniscurrence ; although in the asnesolmeet, w i.ich I shosthl have proposed, I should have s•ery differeut reasons for petitioning -against this Tax ; yet ns the prayer of the Petition is satisfactory, vasia: acieg its total abolition, I am loath to cavil at words, and therefore give it my hearty support. Tao reasos.s I have for objecting to tais Tax ale, Ist, The prineeple of the 'fax is iu direct violation of the British Constitution.— 21, The operation of it is partial, oppressive, and vexatious, tin distinction bring made between precarious in comes arising ft urn trade, and other uncertain sources, and the incomes arising from real and per il' mem property.-3d, That it is repugnant to, and subversive of the very best nossim of BINA juris prudence; inasmuch as it takes away the last sur viving bulwark of our Linetties " The Trial by Jury ;" and substitutes in its stead an odious inqui sition or Commissioners, appoiuted by tie Crown, before whom individuals are compelled to submit to the most degrading exposure of their private concerns, • and against whose arbitrary decisions, however unjust, they have neither remedy nor appeal. 4th, Rut above all, in consequence of various cor rupt practices, which liaae been openly declared in the Ilenottrable the House of Commons to " be as notorious as the sun at noon day," which practices have in effect, long since annihilated the National Representation. This Tax never had, nor could have had, the people's consent ; it being not only declared by the Constitution of this country, that taxation and representation are coequal, but it is written in the immutable Law of Nature, as an eternal truth, that a nation who tax themselves, either in person or by real Representative s, are alone free; but a people who are otherwise taxed are not free. Gentlemen, these are the principal reasons I have against the Property Tax ; asid instead of say ing that the people had cheerfully submitted to its collection, I should have stated the fact, that• the "people had submitted to it, so long as they have 'done, from con/put/fin alone. • However, 1 am of • the same opinion with the Commissioners of this ' 'Tax who bare preceded me, that, to continue the cp::ectioti of it is now become impracticable, eren i ete aid of compulsion. Gentlemen, 1 contra tut" le you upon she unanimity with which the Meet- Ise; abounds against the continuance or renewal of this 'Fax. I congratulate you upon the einem statsces under which we ate met, at a time when we cut fairly say, Englatid is at peace with all the werld ; and I ulso congratulate the whole County of Somerset upon being the second county in England that has met for this desirable object. [ Lung con tinued applause.] Mr. Gone Las;;;TON, Member for the County, next addressed the Meeting, inveighing, in the warm est terms, against the 'fax, vs Inch lie deemed odious and unconstitutional both in its principle and mode of levying, yet (addressing himself to Mr. Hunt) he ' trusted he might be allowed to say, that the peo. • pie had borne it patiently; bat he hoped that every place would now assemble to Petition against it, eon. aidering it the duty of every mall to avail himself of every fair method of giving his voice against a tax for the abolition of which the Parliament was pledged.— [Great applause.] Mr. Mott !ISOM, the other Member for theConnty,. was glad of this opportunityof declaring against thetas, q:.!1 -.vould be one of Alia first to give publit. thanks l'•• • TH E STATESMAN; to the parties who had been the means of convening yoked ; the troops already on the march are to return this Meeting. There was a two-fold reason for doing to Italy. The German regiments in Italy are to away the t a x : firstly, the faith of Parliament was return to their garrisons to be completed. pledged for that purpose ; secondly, it could not be li-vied without gs indi the people. Ile quoted the Accounts from Vienna of the 24th, say, that the elegant Parke : — 44 That great Statesman," said he, German regiments that were already on their march 64 declared, that- if any thing. distinguished, more home through lllyria, are ordered .to remain in Italy. particularly than , a n oth e r, the English Government, BRUSSELS, JAN. 4.—Letters from Ghent say, that it was, that the Parliament most punctually ob- which was sagements; one part of. the English Ministers there have received the ratiti. eru.4l all their eng cation of the Treaty with America. The two Lege composed of religious men, and the other part of select gentlemen from England, Ireland, and Scot. lions are expected to go away next week. We land."—Mr. I). then hinted at the attempts which, expect shortly the Hereditary Prince of Orange to it n cold scent, are in the contemplation of Ministers return here from the Hague. to continue it. This, he said, was alarming, and , -f -must be opposed. But, he continued, it is impossi- 1 We make some further extracts from the Paris Pa ble.that this tax can be levied. The London Met- pers, the arrival of which we announced yesterday. chants were obliged to prematurely sell their goods to pay it ; and the House Property had sunk in We have already announced that the advices which value by being obliged to pity it. Birmingham and they furnish from Vienna are of the most vague and Liverpool were peculiarly oppressed by it. At Bel- insignificant description. From Belgium we are in fast the cotton manufactures are gone, and he was formed, that a strong line of defence is to be formed sorry to say, lie feared they had made their escape to on the Rhine, from the frontiers of Switzerland to France. The farmer he considered as looking up v % eset ;. and that a permanent army will be kept on to the landlord, being unable to pay his rent; end yet, by a strange fatality, we are giving a premium foot to insure the safety of Germany.—Marshal to France by importing their corn, and destroying SUCHET, on assuming the command of the fifth Mili our own agriculture.—Mr. D. was glad to see so tary Division, addressed the soldiery. He congra much unanimity in the Meeting, and concluded by tulated them on their improved condition under their declaring that he would do his duty, in conjunction • present paternal KING; but the earnestness and force with his collengee, by presenting to and suppotting of the arguments used to Gs their attachment prove the Petition in Parlinment.—[Ckecring.] Sir JOHN COXE lIIPPISLET said it was unnecessary the necessity there exists for the full exercise of his for him to add much to what had been said. Bit, persuasive powers; which, by-the-bye, seem as much on a subject like the present, he could not, as a man, directed to preserve and improve military discipline or as a Member of Parliament, give a silent vote ; as to reconcile them to the changes of peace. In and he declared, that when the Petition should or- fact, it is pretty evident . that the French soldiery rive at its point of destination, he would support the cennot be conciliated on. the subject of the late prayer of it with all his migt The Resolutions were thee i read and passed unn. changes. The tope' of our private letters is still nimously ; and a form of Petition was adopted, and more warlike. They say, the military are, generally, ordered to be left in the Nisi Pries Court for sir,- full of the idea of being soon marched to the re-con tures, to be sent to other parts of the county for quest of Belgium. all signature, and to be pr i ete di n t h e Somersets hi re --maire.._ Papers. Mr. iltylkyr moved that the thanks of the Meeting i When the Landholders' Bill for keeping up the be given to G. E. Allen, Esq.; the High Sheriff, (Or , price, of grain and high rents was brought into Par. his readiness in convening the Meeting, athl for his !lament, and the Legislature seemed disposed to pass gentlemanly and impartial crduct in presiding at it into a law, we were the first to show its ruinous the same. This was carried by acclamation. tendency to the community at large, and to ask what The Sheriff returned than in a neat and appro. kind of Government is that which would persevere prints speech, when the Meeting was dissolved, amidst the cheers of the multitude, which amounted In institutions unsuitable to the times, which would at least to 2000 persons. i add strength to those already too powerful, and be- TIM. PET ITION hold its faithful subjects starving, that a few pampered TO THE lilN. THE CONINIONs OF THE UNITED individuals might continue to riot in unrestrained in- SiGDNIO OF Gal Al BlitT %IN, &c. THE PETpSIOX or -rue enernot.cees AND dulgence. How much more we sa i d upon the subject— metres, ASSESSED TO THE PROPERTY TAX WITH.. how warmly we espoused not only the cause of that IX THE COUNTY SIF SOMERSET, great proportion of the British public whose corn- SHOWLII,—That Oaf VilbitiODPr9 have reason to believe that it is in contemplation to propose a re- forts, and even existence, are e n da n ger e d by th e neaval of the Property Tax, which by the present smallest addition to the already high price of bread, law must expire on the 6th of April [text. • every moment which nature could spare from repcse That your Petitioners having cheerfully endured being required for the purpose of earning the neces thc pressure, privation, and sacrifices, occasioned by sary quantity of food ; but also the interests of the a war unparalleled in history ; and having, by their farmers themselves, the difficulties and dangers of personal exertions, in a military view, as well as by whose situation were not unknown to us,—our supplies, voluntarily assisted in opposing the most Headers will do us the justice to admit. In time alarming tyranny that ever threatened the civilised world ; now after that war has, by the blessing of the body of the people saw, in the injustice and Providence, been gloriously terminated, justly, and Ocnpolicy of the proposed measure, the truth of our with confidence, expect, under the faith of Parlia- observations. Corporations and Public. Bodies, of mmt, the expiration of the Property Tax, originally all descr . ptions, raked the voice of just condemna adopted as 'a temporary expedient to encounter diffi twit, ant. the parasitical, pharasaical Journals that culties that now no longer exist. Your Petitioners, deeply impressed with the necessity of an alleviation had at first launched into the praises of a measure of their burdens, humbly pray that your Honourable that was calculated to starve two parts of the people of Great Britain and ruin the thi r d, a n d House will take the same into your most serioas won consideration, and permit the Property Tax to expire dered how any body could be so stupid as at the tithe fixed by law, nad to reject any proposi lion that nay be made to your flonourable House not to perceive both th e j us ti ce an d u tility for the continuance or renewal ,thereof; and your of sanctioning such a project,—finding how f ar Petitioners shall ever pray, &c. ignorance and an interested zeal had led them from the general way of thinking, and of com mon propriety, began to trim.—Some very gravely unsaid all they had asserted before, whilst ethers confessed their ignorance in their silence. The public now perceive in what altered strains even the Ministerial writers speak of Corn Bills, Commerce, and Agriculture; and, in short, never was a measure so universally reprobated as that now is which the Landholders of this country had in view to establish, and two-thirds of the Newspapers of the kingdom lauded to the skies. We say not this for the sole purpose of self-con solation. It is a preface in some degree necessary to the observations we yet have to make on this most interesting subject. It is universally allowed that the agricultural in terests of the country are in a most precarious state, and that the evils which from that cause menace the general wellare,require a speedy and efficient remedy, NEXT WEDNESDAY THE LOTTERY.BEGINS-THE FIRST TICKET DRAWN A PRIZE ABOVE £25. WII,L RECEIVE A*lo.ooo IN AM/I'llON, AND MAY PROVE A PRIZE; OF .C30,(M0. Mail. I)ue . - I.tilion liambtorgh 111)1:and PRlci , " (II STOCKS THIS Rank 2.': - `1 9 per cent. Fed. 651; per Cent. C , .1) , .631}1 4 pmr Cents. R 2 5 per Cent. Navy Sli}i' DAT AT ON I.: O'CLOCK I.wng. Ans. 161 7-163 Witt Bned► 21.1 19 tb Exchequer Hills 3 6 p Oninium Consols (or Acc. 66{ THE STATESMAN. LONDON: WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 11, 1815. A Dutch Mail arrived this forenoon, bringing Dutch Papers to the Sth inst. There is intelligence from Ghent, through this channel, stating that the English Ministers had received the ratification of the Treaty with America, and that the two Legations were expected to depart in the course of this week. Their Excellencies were giving splendid entertain ments to one another, which are represented as the image of perfect reconciliation. Lord GAMBIER was drinking to the independence of the United States of North America, and the Americans were toasting his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and singing " God save the King Vie.f for which purpose the subject must again come before Parliament ; but all the wits of the would-be po liticians, who speculate upon the question, are sud denly stopt short, like pointer dogs at a fault, when the specific remedy comes to be mentioned. In cases of complaint, it is well to hear the patient him self, and when the cause of the disease lies deeper than the hand of the common physician can reach—" therein the patient must minister to himself." We believe, there are farmers living, that will tell you no corn laws whatever that can be framed, if dependence is placed solely on them, can remove the pressure under which they are now la. The following are , _only other articles worthy of bouring; for as the cause of the pressure is not regu notice furnished by this conveyance:— lated by the law, neither will its effects be wholly Bola-LE-Duc,JAN.2.—Private letters from Cleves • obviated by innovations in the laws that bear not say, that they consider there the fate of the late de• directly on the question. Defective as the Corn paitment of the ROf f as decided ; it will not be 1 Laws in their present state are said to be--.can it tie joined with the Netherlands as we had hoped, bet proved, that agriculture has not flourished, uniu with Prussia; nay, in the Cologne Courant, we see fluenced by their operation, to a degree nnpre ' the nomination of several Prussian Civil Officers for cedented in times when they were more strict—and that department. Ihave not rents risen in proportion, we may venture FRANKFORT, Dec. 3l.—The Nurisiberg Court:is' to say four-fold what they were when the laws were says, that the order for the march of Italian troops all in. (war of the corn grower ? Farmers are neither to the German doutinioos of Austria bu been re. so prejudiced, nor so ignorant, as not to perceive the relief they crave and actually require, c a „ longer come from the public, burthetted - as they and looking for a diminution rather than an ke n of their privations. At this period when the t o , of war has ceased to annoy the Continent, aarl , corn is to be had there in abundance, n 6 doubt petition will become more animated. Af gach a pa r when all the skill and elpertness or the manufacturers are scarcely sufficient to cor for the comparative dearness of th'err subsists already, a little addition to the price of corn, so, must be the certain effect of any new restraint importationeistiti is the avowed purpose for ul socit'restraint is required, would turn the scale exclude many kinds of British goods frmn . (heft)? market. In this event the operatives, who now their bread by those manufactures, a numerous! will be no longer able to purchase corn, the efl; demand will be lessened, and the motive for cultic, ing corn will he weakened. The poor people in case, no longer able to support themselres, ' , migrate, which they may be expected to do in mi tit udes, if circumstances do not alter for the ben now that peace has opened every quarter of The gh or become a useless load on public charity, or the,* dis Contents lead to a state of thingi very mucl be depreca ted. We say the farmers themselves now knolvitll and as they see no augmentation of tiches but what annually squeezed through their own hands to s. tlte rentals of their tandlords, and have good re; to believe that even the shutting of the ports wt be converted into the purpose, of keeping up tht rents, they are now in some places locoing their to the proper quarters for relief—to their landhr and the Government. To the former they are just; in looking for an abatement of rent, and to the b hot for coercive meastirea,*%Cialch; -if emicted, hare a tendency to subject them, u well as of the community, to a still further state of bun some rack-rent and difficulty, but for a release tuition, from the load which is bad . enough self, and sufficient to weigh down the bbdy we' e there . nothing eke pressing opus it,. bat is made the foundation for a thousand otter sions. . No interests are more closely tontlected those of the growers and .consumers of grain -4 base to attempt to excite a prpjorliee and an sity between them. United, they comprise the tire of the public. Let their united voices then heard in a way becoming the dignity of Britons, in unison with the nature of the Constitution, in quiring attention on the part of the Government the true interests, the wants, and wishes of people. We gave yesterday the copy of certa' solutions adopted at a Meeting of Land Ot at Lewes, in Sussex, who conceive it their dot state to the Lrlislature the impossibility of br up against the heavy burthen of Poor's Tax, Ti' Ilighway Tax, Malt Tax, Property and Taxes, as well . as the other heavy outgoings ft farm, even if no rent I,e paid. It is to crave relief these that the farmers in general should petition, , their landlords ought to feel it to be their duty to j them in the appeal. It needs no ghost to tell country what is yreighing down its spirits. does it require the authority of amALTnes, ti Maurnus has said it, to convince os, that" the neral principles of political economy teach us buy our commodities where we can have cheapest, and that there is no rule in the compass of the science to which fewei justifiable ceptions can be found in practice," —a practice which even the most strenuous supporters of Bills and high prices will be found to adhere. is still less necessary to repeat what that great poi cal economist—the late Sir JAMES STEUART has that " the price of sustenance cannot be raised hi than is compatible with the lowest class of ma facturers."—The price of food haring been el raised to a pitch proved to be incompatible with ability, it follows it can be raised no highei Remove the cause of the pressure, and the effect cease,—there mill not (yen be a pretext for um or oppression.. The taxes lessened, as they ought to be, rents must fall, if the humanity of proprietors of laud will not allow them to be nished sooner. We are not fond of allowing our imsginetions distress us more than we can help; but if th" continue to go on in the progressively ruinous they. are—if we are doomed-to perceive no better position on the part of our Rulers, in regard lessening the burthens of the people, and ing •in veneration the safeguards of public berty v —we are inclined to apprehend, notes standing' peace, universal • peace, has come 64 scarf up" the wounds of a twenty years that unles the united voices of the nsiion be against the syttem of taxation and oppression perseveringly pursued acd apparently still fated, there is some danger of .the inbahitsofl this free country b e i ng , a t no remo t e p er i o d, i situation resembli ng th e bl ac k woman me ntioned an advertisement which we quote, a's a curiosi from a Jamaica Gmette, wherein a• human being publicly declared confiscated, and put up for for non-payment of Taxes: In connection w ith this "subject, we may direet tention to the particulars we have given in this da) Paper, of the meeting of freeholders, owners, occupiers of land in the county of Somerset. ul* it will be observed, some most highly honours; and truly disinterested iustances of patriotic fell • ft" a s can they II hien— he t un . and [nolo en-, a pYri, e ""Pallsa absistei rn, raint for %hi, scale is he forei ITOW ear ous hod ) etectus cuttivot sle in this res, mu o in mot he better he globe, y, or 11 r much t , th;:, st what I to 5%01 ream its wou' , up tisk'. :heir ey. landlord e juAtifi, the tact tf, %rolll the burthen ease fro PO of it r Polk t)ut fro. ted tits n gni e the 41 ▪ then one, a n, in r nment loft Main r DecuP r dutj f been , Tides A . go fron elief ft • Lion, ty to jei o tell I its. N s, thou, '‘ the tch us I Ye th ')e wh Sable e. act ice • of Co here. st poli has se pd higl if man s sires. with th higher. fleet -Ar eiacti hey n y of t be di aliens if thi ous st otter d egard nJ ho iblic not wit tome ars au se rai , !scion II me Runts od, 111 ionetl uriosi , being for us lireet his dat' ets, s' ▪ übe;t nourti , feelio • I