The Statesman. — London, England, 1821-12-05 00:00:00

• ret,*at:Oige 12, admits that the present system of Corn laws tends to aggravate the evil of scarcity, and tia , render more severe the depression price front abundance:' —And at page 13, it admits that, • should the average of the six weeks. preceding the 15th of August be Sits. Id. per quarter for wheat, whatever may be the abun dance of the forthcoming harvest, tile ports and the warehtinsee of Foreign Corn, will he opened for at least six weeks, and is reference to the principal exportin g . countries for three months thus fully acknowledging that the present Corn Laws are no protection to the Bri tish Farmer. That the Select Committee, at page 16 of the Re part, express their great anxiety to • suggest to Par haitient, as a matter highly deserving of their future consideration, whether a trade in corn constantly open to all nations of the world, and subject only to such a fixed duty as might compensate to the grower the loss of that encouragement which he received during the late war from the obstacles thrown in the way of free im portation, and thereby protect the capitals now vested in Agriculture from an tip:vial competition in the home market, is not, as a permanent systetn, prefer. able to that state of law by which the corn trait is now regulated.' The Committee also said, that it would be indispensable for the just execution of this prieciple, that such duty should be calculated fairly to countervail the difference of expense, including the ordinary rate of profit, of producing it in any of those countries from whence our principal supplies of fo reign corn have usually been drawn, joined to the or dinary charges of conveying it from thence to our onerirets."flius admitting in its fullest extent the principle for which the different agricultural Associ ation, byre at all times contended, viz. dirty on .411fOreign produce, to the growth of which our own sail is congenial, equal to the difereacC in the expense ci raising ft, hereand abroad. That after reading these arguments so ably put, and so impossihle to refute, it is with the greatest sur prise that we find it stated in the snug Report, that by the present Corn Laws, there is an absolute prohibi tion against the introduction of every description of foreign grain, meal, or flour, into . theeonstimption of the United Kingdom. Wheo the average plyer, • aseer tained according to the pilule established by former acts, arc below certairipecitied rates;' when it is known, so far from this'-being the case, that any quantity, however unlituited,Of foreign grain, meal or 11.rttr, im ported previous to the shutting of the ports, is, from the moment it arrives, amalgamated with the British corn, and enter into the consumption of the United Kingdom for months, nay, years afterwards, although the price may have fallen fifty per cent. below stilt specified rates—which has been fully exemplified by our having had foreign corn free for sale on the Lon don Market, from the 15th Feb. 1818, to the very day the Report of the Select Committee was made, I S June, 1821, a period of nearly two years and a half. That this meeting are the more surprised at this description of the present Corn Laws, in page 1, seeing Vint it is in direct opposition to the description given of them in page 13 of the same Report. " That this Meeting also feel great surprise that the Report should state that ' The ruinously low prices of agneeltnral produce, at this moment, cannot he ascribed to any deficiency in the protecting power of the law.— That protection cannot be carried further than mono poly, and that this monopoly the British grower has enjoyed for the produce of the two last harvests.' When ti:e very deficiency in Me protecting power of the law, which - the Honourable Committee so freely admit in page 13 of the Report as quoted before, was taken ad vantaxe of in 1918, when the Ports continued open for three months after the 15th of August of that year. by a very small excess above the import price, at the mo ment we were reaping an early an.l abundant barren!, and when we did out stand in need of a single bushel of foreign grain: and that in the opinion of this Meeting, one g reat cause of the present distress of the farmer s bas been the 'nonsense importation which then took place, superseding the use of an equal quantity of lid filth corn, and glutting the markets of this king dom with foreign corn, comparatively untitled anal untaxed. " That were it possible`to take one-tenth of all foreign produce imported for tithe, one-tenth for the relief of the poor, one-tenth fur the repairs of highways, county rates, church rates, he.; and two-tenths for the payment of the national debt, pay of army and navy, support of tioverninent, and so forth ;*the British Farmers would not object to the admission of all foreign produce , duty free; but till this he done, they merely pray for such a duty to he imposed on ituportanon here, as stay be equal to thine expenses to which our own produce is subjected : so that the British and Foreign Farmer way meet on equal terms in the British market. " That the Report of the Select Committee, in brief ly noticing the evidence of some of the Petitioners, who gave it as their opinion that a duty of alts. per quarter would be the lowest amount of duty that could secure the British fanner, states as an objection to the proposi tion, that it would he a prohibition, except in seasons of scarrity. But that this Meeting, so far front thinking this an evil, suppose that Corn Laws are enacted for this express purpose. They are the more confirmed in this Opinion. as they find in the Report of the Select Committee of the House of Commons in 1814, which sat on the same subject, the following words on this very • point :--• Looking to the important change in our situa tion, to the abundance which we now enjoy, and to the great and extensive improvement made in cultivation both here and in Ireland, your Committee cannot but 100111.011 A eons that we have nearly arrived at that state in which 'nothing but a discouragement and conse quent falling off of our own agriculture can again drive us to the necessity of trusting to large importations of foreign corn, KXCEPT ix ITKPORTIMATZ SCUMS% when it may be necessary to resort to this resource to supply the deficiency of our own harvest.' ' 6 That although the Report of the Select Committee of 1821, one part, recommends a fixed duty as the best possible protection to the Agriculture of the United Kingdom ; still, in another part, it considers the pre- seat moment unfit for making such alteration. it re commends a continuance of the present average system ; urging, however. that the import price should be lower ed; because, the Report adds. it is obvious that the duty would otherwise not only check the sudden and overwhelming amount of import, but also enhance the price beyond what it might reach under the present law.' Thit this Meeting. so far from thinking this Is obvi ous, believe it would make no difference in that respect, pirticularlary as in page 13 of their Report. the Select Committee expressly admit that the prices ofcorn on the Continent are not regulated by the cost of production, but entirely by the price of other coentries in which there is a demand for it. That the Report at page 23, allrms that the demand of the Agricultural Petitionsoor elitel protection with manufactures, rests in part upon misconception of facts, because the duties payable on sevetal titamsfaciared articles are imposed to counteract the excise duties on the manufactory of them in this kingdom ; but that this Meeting, with due submission. coseeive, whether taxation be cermet, as in case of the manufacture aegis's. or inilveet. as in the cue of the growth, or as it may be called manufacture of corn, it can maw so diatom, as to the justice of their &hos jov.pretectipo ; begOdsei if all indirect to: moved,' and it were possible to impose a ill duction of every quartir.of eorn (the same . equal to the indirect taxation now paid. the 'pt which the British Farmer could afford to sell his pro duce would remain unaltered. , " That this Meeting are of opinion that 401. per quar ter on wheat, 10 per cwt. on weal, and the amount of. duties as enumerated, are the lowest which can afford protection to the British Farmer; there being at least that difference between the cost of production here, sod the cost of production there, together with the mye of conveying it from abroad , and therefo re . accord s to the admission of the Report, at page 16, they are only asking what they are fairly entitled to. - " That it is clear. that although the ruin in tire fast place must fall on the tenautrv, still it it not less so, that as rent is merely the surplus left after allowing the tenant a fair return for his capital and industry, it will soon reach the landlords, and through them every class of society." After some pause, Lord EGRUIONT rose., and ob• serving, that as no one appeared disposed to speak upon this proposition, he wonid take leave to suggest *hat, in his opinion, ought to be done; be was not able, he was ready to say. to form any judgment upon 'so long a paper, merely from hearing it once read, and 'he presumed, that the same inability must attach to others. In his opinion, too, tt would be more expe dient to postpone any decision upon the subject of this meeting until the spring, the meeting pledging it self, that if,at any time, any probability should appear of opening the porta, it should immediately re-assem ble, in order to deprecate snch a proceeding, while the assemblage of every other distric t iu the count y . should also be recommended for the same purpose; for he was himself fully persuaded that the opening of the ports for the import of foreign corn would be pro shictive of the ruin of the country. In the mean time he recommended that the paper which had been just read by Mr. Ellinan, and wioich, so far as he could uu derstand it, appeared very good, should be printed and published in the Newspapers, in order that all parties ' interested should have due time to consider and judge of its merits. Mr. ELLMAN, jun., stated, that be had this morning received a communication 'from a gentleman, who stated that it was the intention of Government, earlv in the ensuing Session, to propose the abrogation of thy present Corn Laws, in order to substitute the im position of adety upon the import of foreign corn. This gentleman was Mr. Webb Hall, who stated that he had received his intelligence from Mr. Iluskisson ; (and here Mr. E. read art extract from the letter of Mr. Hall.) The intention of Ministers was perhaps of the same nature as that proposed by Lord Londonderry in the late Agricultural Committee, namely, to reduce the importing price to ;Os. a quarter, and to impose a duty of 15s. on every quarter of foreign wheat, which should afterwards be imported. But with re spect to the Noble Chairman's recommendation of waiting until the Spring before any measure was taken to guard against the evil of opening the ports, he could not by any means acquiesce in that recom mendation. Besides, he had reason to believe, that early ih the next Session a Motion would be made for the revival of the Agricultural Committee, and there fore it behoved the agricnitatists to pra4lllllll` opinions, in order to give support and eetentenasice to such a motion. After some discussion in which a number of gentle men took part, it was moved that it be recommended to the several district meetings to consider the distress of Agriculture as well as the general state of the country. Mr. Ihsatstsx moved an Amendment, which con tained an allegation in the Report of the Agricultural Committee, namely, " to consider of the injustice and injury cast upon all classes of the people by an unset tled currency." The gentlemen from whom this meet ing emanated, seemed to have altogether lost sight of the object which they ought to have kept in view and not at all to have reached the end, or conceived the extent of the evil which they deplored, for they had not even ad verted to Ireland, where that evil was at present ope rating with peculiar severity. He was astonished to hear Mr. Ellman ascribe all our distress to the love price of wheat, while he entirely overlooked the low price of Meat. Was he not aware that bacon was s !l ing at 3d. a pound, and that the peasantry of Li merick were in open warfare, as The Courier stated, against rent, tithes, and taxes? Did not the Worthy Gentleman feel that the principle of that warfare wan the same as that to which the complaints of this meet ing referred ? The meeting had heard a great deal', about the high and low prices of grain, but be had I uniformly told the farmers that they entertained very mistaken views upon this subject ; they were, indeed, always misled. They were told that their condition could not be improved, unless what was called the ea-, tural prices of corn were restored, and Mr. W. Hall de scribed this natual price as that of 1813. But who could truly say what the natural price was, or who could properly separate that subject from the great money question. He bad told the farmers in that room, at the time the resumption of cash payments by the Bank' was determined upon, to wait for two or three years, and they would see how much, independently of any reference to the import of foreign corn, their produce would be affected by • that measure. After . skewing how unfounded and unwarrantable the opi nions of Mr. W. Hall upon that subject were, Mr. Blackman. reverted to the motion with which he pro posed to connect his amendment. He was quite ready, he said, to vote for District Meetings, and for a County Meeting after such Distriet Meetings had declared their sentiments, which Meeting would, he hoped, he determined upon. particularly with a view to consider the conduct of Ministers ; for how strange was it that the Chancellor of the Exchequer should be allowed to remain in office after a Committee of the Douse of Commons, comprehending four of his own colleagues, had published a Report, containing a direct contra diCtion of the resolution which that gentleman pro posed as to the currency upon the discussion of the Bulliou question is 1811. But every part of the conduct of them Ministers hid some extraordinary aspect, or some mischievous result.. The Amendment having been read. • Lord itaalalONT declared his entire ellatiftellef 4 with Mr. Blackman, that as savettkl itiiiieniy, vitas' the great source of the evils which Atari- air tore. But as to the resumption of cash pa • 'Oa ' measure was now decided upon ; aial as 1 1 47 woe dune, its thought it was impossible to . li. - 1 mi te Mr. Rumex. sea., felt bine* blood this umendlnent. lest 11 its adspipp elk *Ai be . liimagfft A wig alharecter he Jnsidered it me il re drivelling add nonsense to say that a Meeting was not political Which involved The interest, as its authors alleged, or ,every class of the people. Ihe money question was indeed the key-stone of the arch of such a Meetiog. and therefore the consideration of that question could not be consistently excluded any' more than the con duct of Ministers, wino, upon that question attempted to make Mr. Ricardo their scape goat, because they adopted his plan in onier to release themselves .of their own motion. Yet thus the farmers were imposed upon and led away from any consideration of the con duct of Anniston!. But the farmers must, in order to under.tand their case, follow different leaders from those to whom they had heretofore attended. They must plough deep and contrive to rennet their brains clear. o-11.1 fallow, fur the reception a better seed.— . (A pp (at] se.) ' t ' Lord EGREMONT said, that he could not consider the Amendment of Mr. Blackman as a political or party proposition', whatever he might think of that gentle man's speech ; fdr it was the fact, that all parties, in Parliament and out of it, supported the resumption of Cash Payments. Lords Grey and Lansdown did so as well as the Ministers. Nay, Mr. i'obbett himself did se. and " what the devil more," said the Noble Lord, would yon:rerinire I."—(A laugh and applause.) After a few more observations from Mr. BLACKMAN, Mr. Et.t.staN withdrew his opposition and the Amend ment was adopted. Thanks were voted to Lord FORIBMONT for his con duct in the Chair,and the meeting broke up about four o'clock. f eeting, wh MER7'ING O.Y. THS STATE OF;IHELtiND. Yesterday a meeting took place at the Thatched House, St. Janses's.street, in pursuance of an Advertise ment inviting the attendance of Noblemen and Gentle men connected by birth, property, or commercial rela tions, with I reland, to consi ler the propriety of present ing a Petition to his 31sjesty, that he might be gracious ly pleased to submit to the consideration of Parliament with the least passible delay, the present alarming and distressed state of Ireland. At one o'clock, there being about fifty persons in the min . —. Major Tiouc came forward and addressed the Meet ing. He observed that the Meeting had been called with a conviction that it would be numerously and re spectably attended, and be was happy to see that the expectation had been realised. This was the more gratifying, since it happened at a period when it was impossible that all the great Irish absentees should be in town. Ile would call upon a Nobleman whom he observed in the room (Lord Darnley) to take the Chair. He was one who had always shown himself ready to sustain his Irish peasantry in their distress, and to support their interests in the Senate. He un derstood that he was pressod for time, and he wets sure that no length of time could be required to dispose of a business where all party prejudices should be laid aside, in order to unite in the consideration of the calamities of their country. Lord DaiineLev said, that he was only present in consequence of an advertisemeni 'whicb be IMO seen' in the public prints, and being at a convenient dis tance from town, he considered it a point of ditty to attend the meeting. He had an objection to taking the Chair, as, from doing so, be might be required to remain a much longer time is that place than it would be convenient for him to stop. He understood the object of calling the Meeting was to agree to Peti tion the King, to request his Majesty to call together Parliament sooner than it was intended, in order to take into consideration the present disastrous state of Ireland. Thinking, however, that no time should be lust in resorting to the (heat Council of the Nation, he was convinced that nothing could be done for that unfortunate country, which now laboured under the accumulated weight of evil amassed from centuries of ruisgoverument. Human wisdom could not put an end to its calamities. It was easy to send a military force in addition to that already there, but he was sure they would all agree with him, that unless something per manent was done in the form of amelioration, it would not avail. The attempt ought to begin with Parlia ment, and therefore be thought there could be no ob jection to adopting the course about to be proposed. He should notpositively oppose himself to the will of the Meeting, should they determine upon his taking the chair, lint he would 010 it with the condition' an• flexed, that he should receive their indulgence in point of time. The Noble Lord then took the Chair. • Major Thum, after adverting to the lamentable ac counts relative to the state of Ireland, drew the atten tion of the Meeting to the necessity which existed that an application should be made to Parliament to take the case into consideration, and apply such remedies to it, as, whilst they should be the means of supporting the laws, protecting the peaceable. and punishing the guilty, should admiabter relief to the suffering pops talon. One good effect of the present Meeting would be to fix public attention on the subject. The causes of the present slats of Ireland were variously consider ed. One thought it was owing to mis-governnient..+ another that it was the naturally rebellious dispositio, of the people—a third that it was the existence of the Orange Party in the Government—and others thought that it was all to be attributed to the exactions of high rents from an oppressed people. Hut lie (Major Tighe) did not attribute the distress of his countryntea to any of these causes, which implicated all persons of con sideration in that country. from the Government down wards. He knew thapreient lord Lieutenant of Ire land had come forward upon every occasion to do his utmost to heal all dissentious of party. and to relieve the dismissed. Although also from peculiar chew stances, it might appear from the nominal rental of Ireland that the tenant there was subjected to inordi nate exaction, he knew that it fell short of the rate oil rent in this country. Time tithe system had. also! been alluded to. He had _no doubt bat that as Established Church in Ireland might be sustained, by saute appropriate means; but he knew that the Clergy of the Established Chard' in. Ireland trees awe mo derate *ban in this esmeittry. as he had paid tithes in both. The Magistracy;heknew were platerdin a situation of insuperable dilkilty. *hi& might have been least., .ted by the intneductiOn of Petty Seisions. But the Were .always slispeimed'to de t he ir duly. Having thM tared. as far as be toes able. Ibis opiates of the canes stuibsiei by Public ismer for 'the tlietressed stak of s he cmsemtry, .1t alight be especial that he shoed point ..., . . nit . ... STAT *S . : • . : fixation wer e- ee ectotlVA 1 Mee inty ott,4he 0- id_fotizriglir to s tear. fine AS 'On ISO Mi. DI.AeIItMAPI con I. the 'Price at ......ap to SAY that iI A r. they P lieddritArendthe. jt carittoolle,a t iltirl ir tntier i r i ty e il a nii n i t : t iv ed itt t ah h as y eo e nw . py re ibmcon ll t a i l luo l i n :n t :i l ttg i r t ywi n oo. n se af •o skt i ‘ h i pi l e a t itr l ) s ew : t h gir, 7t hi l :s w l iwt te it i tis ' a i h a wc t e h ai: t w isv i :tila t i t l ef i ti.r. ; ied..nuur i tii..., l t i f. l- 1;l f nd presumption in an humble ind ividual g nrsol. like r i ag la. 0,•,. if ; him to call for the exertion of every s io7 thele - ,-7 Ah r i ) 44,3 e n) rn etiitsg t e n trh, e tec a hl ; wl f gt o iri r tadic t od l i t ol e wona t si n isigy ee thet i o i r r en r a g t 6:win o :i f :ne t s : o r t s ot t h elioor body, teso, u ti ' nf i .o v i. _ li a i ---- ' . t e ci l t i hi..f t e ; lent together, and to submit to its attention tha p sn „ - d °lt another .ta it ti l et r i . on D f i b l o r b :t u o t i e ta v r in .i , f l be any I commencedl'li would et hntiet immediately hlGentleman atann‘iaddress iteailfscuhon leln n mo • e i i i i t n ap h i n ca d • r i l e r t ii pp a i o ! 4 e r r h t i consul lil --itl:- . voice, but— The CHAIRMAN informed him that it would he oNserefth. regular ia jor to T w io a s it e t t i l l i l en th r e ca P a et t i h ti e o p n et w it a i s on 7a u d .h . nature already deseribal in his speech. presentg r a l l t ! u r , . a t D e , ai meeting,s i t i i i e n N Noble p o i: : :v ial% 6 r a t eire ra deser 1,1 on atn ( rhn o r ogod f tc,:hz o C igetut o :nir r tiaeet k trr ) pykas. ip.onic r u sio o :: s evr bt e nHilaileiiiii n a ntsyxwitp : d int ifi. ems.t thuth te. . He had the greates aa t trd h ss o u p ffl yofettllstee done Kin curium more anxious o s the furttoo: pres e nt, l%)• because contribute b his s hemite found dt. oi u p on frithbhreeea s ijan n tdcer e bb,d l ae r er edoaa confer . both osf. te otter n r i turned h o e n f e t a : bartio"::htimen:Ovneeny, however, ilmhatesn wasaw Itr es t w se i propos e d i n i t n a g i the same object in view, though ferent means. The present si nation of Ireland, Ri tm o frightful, was not new—the same outrages appeared within his own time, which e 4 tiipreheatial the last half century. The bayonet had always , b ees applied to repress them—a temporary calm bad fol lowed, but intolerable misery had again wretched peasant to madness ; and he had never seen the Government apply any remedy but the bayonet, he, in his turn, resorted to the same weapon with frightful retaliation. A nation of the just prid e of Englad could not, perhaps, bear to he told that her Government hail for centuries been art only odious in Ireland, but such as was too w e ll calculated to unhinge the whole frame of civil satiety in that country. Ragland must be told that she owed much of forbearance, much of conciliation, and sone. thing of her resources, to !reboil. This was a plaits. dealing country, and let her be told the truth, that Ireland could no longer bear the weight of taxation imposed upon her. Ireland must also be told, that she had been curved by a squandering. a proud, and an oppressive gentry. lie knew there were great excep tions ; but he believed their general ehsn:cter was as he had described it. An unpaid Magistracy, which in England had been such a blessing, was, in !relish, the source of much evil. Justice had not been fairly administered among the people ; bills of indictment could either be found, or thrown out, among them, just as the party happened to have private interest with the Grand Jury. Every man knew that when them Grand Juries in Ireland assembled at the Mains, pre sentment jobbing was the chief business they at. tended to. lie then proceeded to state that mach bad often been 'said of the absentee property; it was two that It was great ; sad thax,_ the wit is which it was taken was a greater evil Sin the has id the capital itself. A profligate class of agents sad Ws dlemen had sprung op, who plundered the tenant while they cheated the landlord. All sympathy was 'het* lost between landlord and tenant. He excluded fronds list of useless absentees such men u the Duke of Dens shire and Earl Fitswilliam, and honest Englishness( their etamp, who dealt fairly towards their tenantry. They were exonerated from any share in producing& present state of things in Ireland. But how yiasthis state of things to be remedied 2—Heaven alcoe eosld tell. Some said by making men live on their estates—others, by taxing absentees. But they must discourage private distillatian for the payment of their rents, and by so doing withhold the strong excite; went which habits of smuggling and the intoxication of whiskey gave to the commission of midnight out rage. They must cultivate better their own native it saurces, and encourage domestic industry. Some thing of eocrse must be done by the Legislature, be side' making a barrack of the country. But front whom were they to expect that Legislative assistance? Was it from such an Administration as the preeent? No: he confessed he had no hopes from such nee. The only remedy of coercion was again about to he applied in Ireland. He knew that outrage must be punished; but were no evils to be redressed? ,Tailt not to the peasant of Catholic Emancipation. Wins matters it to him, if starvation be his fate, which Church shall divide the spoil ? But he called epee them to take care, that whatever remedy they now ar plied should go home to the peasant, and inspire him with confidence and hope. Their whole 9 0110 ! f government in Ireland was too upon:tire; tbey Poi too mach for an influence that wets bad, and gadget for an affection that would save them. They and the. people too high fat their means, and on' Or ball what was got was pocketed by the *Ode of " • lection. The people could not bear this system say longer—their industry bad no fair play. A ace‘ wien o ti r Inquiry into the stn e of Ireland must take 1 11 ; would W the country was undone . But that Inge./ i ~ a mockery, unless they declared at the outlet hull tut ! were prepared to make peat sacrifices, anal to bogie them with wheat were called the privileged orders: they, with the whole traits of placturen and pansio l ne" in Ireland, exacted too much f r om the public stoc.r.--. ntbruyti;s it n hus ' e a u f heat t d h b e esu t tti r at u ird t e h .d ; ini h is e i es ilk stakenferwon wasii it w es a u s i a I I nipna thela tsbe e o n i e n ! but he had. happily, survived much of rr l e l s e e e n t i " stYss ; tegi:sl could not, however. but feel for his unhappy The delivery of this discourse was attended be taw' .r cal interruptions on the part of the Chairman and ono d tending 0 persons present, as being irrelevant, an .. excite angry feelings, which might lead into We° esed discussion. Mr. Wat.i.s. who stated himself to be the SeCre l2ll to 90121 . I nstiintion for the Encouragement of Indul tr !,..' read a series of Resolutions which bad been come o ' l coantry. thatl Resolutions i o o n st t a h e e s s p u r b e j s ec se expressed of f h t a h t e it that adequa t e ia itt. r employment should be lotted f. 40 iri 6 is- Mr. Wayssest rose to order. amal obiUted 10 'I', „k w Tbe sertatlun upon the rases. of the plcsl lo 1 1 4" --- f ite * b e e si ms mp u le aj ta b eet ty al ion os a w po w n o rt -hic it h io loy o I ked a 6040 040 1 : 4 0 the s t °lvo.. _,__.i.....ii•miffilligh wr- • W; Pt die oft J ec V II 91.11 to 14 at : f 4 a' t' 1 .1...,