The Statesman. — London, England, 1810-10-18 00:00:00

D 1317 L.l 110 N I'ROJI CORN. To TIM 1:1)ITOrt or THE STATESM kN. ` : , t ,. —After the gloomy forebodings which had b . t .,, respecting the Ilaraevt, and the pre. dtclion~llf searci!y which were so industriously dis. lerninced, it is a peculiar satisfaction, if it may not be deca wil a public duty, to notice the contrast is presented (coin the contemplation of the resen t situariwi the coultry. Thu icirvest has unusually aleitsdant ; wit; it has been princi. pa. y r oped derine the most seasonably fine wea. . ' n ee in greater 'dotty, and in higher perfection, v o lt was ever perhaps remembered. The informa. ho') deriveil through various channels, and from dif. cam co unties, unites in the must cheering ac. c ,,,0 o f the crops ; and the constant fall of the ,rat.,; of grain demonstrates most utteqiiivocally est the blessing of plenty is amongst us. Not o Ay are all apprehensions respecting she harvest l erelv removed, bet the ( I ..e(potadency which has beea eatertained respecting the discontinuance of iheiutpurtaiun of foreign grain, is now proved to alto ether groundless. It has been confidently asserted by (navy, that the restrictions upon cont r.:re:, IlleZigreS of our enemies have im. o c which ir would probably be found exile. dieit to adopt, would, in (beir operatidn, deprive eis coentry of those coesidecable importations of f,, r ,ip taiil which have been usually received, and apna wt‘iJi we have beea accustomed to place Intel( dependance. It is, however, very satisfac. tory to observe, that so far from any diminution of tle custom:l . y supplies of foreign grail haring been erecrienced, the importations from abroad, during rue palest year, into the port of London only, have already aalouuted to the extraordinary quantity of Out filmarbe of Quarters; a quantity far et ceedinterie ordinary anatual inspertatious into the eiiire. To. these foreign importations no leverruptiun has been found ; tier is there the slightest ground of rational apprehension that they will be discontinua. The reneital of oar inter. mile with the United States of America has af forded a lather source of supply ; and the quan. tity arrived fr'orra thence. to Liverpool, where the principal part df the trade with that country is 08100, amounts, since January, to 80,61 bareh of wheat flour, and 13,9u0 qnarters of *hut. Under the consideration of these facts, sad with the almost tinprecedentedly large stocks of grain accumulated in every direction, I should con ceive that every person must be convinced, that the alarm of scarcity, which was raised for interested purposes, his, at present, no teal foundation. It mast unquestionably bo acknowledged, that it be hoves us to exaniine, with the most careful attegtioa, Into oar moans of national - subsistence, before we repose with confidence and security in the adequacy of the supply to our future wants; fur where there Is even the distant prospect of a deficiency of grain, 'retrenchment and economy in its consumption Cannot be too early recommended ; but when that ul has been made into the state of the harvest and our general stock, and when it is satis factorily and incontrovertibly proved, that thin happy country is teeming with an alsundance of the , Ed of life, we surely ought to dismiss these idle fore and enjoy with gratitude the blessing of 1. 43 1fy. The abundance which we at present flees, removes, I colieelve, every ground of c i ajactiun to the repeal of a measure, which, Lin account of its fatal etlecti on the agrieul.. tea interests of the country, can be justified !!), by the certain prospect of approaching scar. City—l allude to the PROHIBITION OF DISTILLA- ZiOR FROM GRAIN. This restrictive and fluctuate in policy operates as a serious check on the Wes. try of farmers, who are not generally capable of filly comprehending the motives for legislative inter. f:rence,end who are led to apprehend a frequent re. entente of it; nor can they judge fur bow long a time it may be persevered its. If, however,- this interdiction should be continued in a season of the greatest abundance, w hen, moreover the opening of Ike distilleries to corn is not prevented by the na. l ate of the Act ; then, indeed, it is to be feared, that dear eminence in the security of the Corn Mar. I lea must be abated, if not entirely destroyed, and consequently that tillage must give way to any athet system of husbandry that promises an exemp tion hen such ruinous restrictions. The lamentable ow e ocuces of the prohibition of corn distillation har e _ been unequivocally established by the con. current testimony of the most respectable persons, liho int examined upon oath before a Select Com. 'sake of the Mouse of lords. Impressed with a !cm cooliction of the injury which it occasions to s ti , '-o/farec, as tending to the discouragement of 4 Ne; to the revenue, as increasing illicit distills. a' . a , sod to commerce, as producing great tiuctu. I't"1 and insecurity in general trade. Same of most illustrious Senators have reprobated, in inest:ussi,titfecreible language, the continuance of this la d Policy;, and nearly thirty petitions " ab ece sent from different counties for the repeal st •Cle Act, all exhibitiug a melancholy picture of imaLt al efkcts on agricultural industry and pro gllttftYs Which have been actually experienced in catise gee ___ ure of the pro!.ibitiun. It has been suggested by soma ir, • who profess an Ilu t‘ concern fur the landed interest, but husti. to th e r cPeal of this measure that it wo uld be .~ more ailtiseable to interdict the importation of to. re . gn grain, and at the tame time to prohibit corn distillation. Now, without adverting to the unan. swerable reasoning of nearly every writer on NM. cal economy, had particularly of D. ADAM SMITH, by which the great national advantages of I unrestricted freedom in the corn trade have been established, the inexpediency of the plan proposed will be apparent from the consideration of the fol. lowing circumstances. It is well ascertained, that the quantity of wheat grown in this Empire bears very moderate proportion to the general tillage of the country. It is also found, in some years, and particularly in the last year, that English w heat, from its soft nature, is rendered most applicable to consumption by an iutermitture of foreign wheat or flour, which is of a more firm nature; being blended together, both are rendered more palat. able and nutritive. Let it here be considered, that our foreign supplies consist almost entirely of this description of corn. From America . our imports. !lents arc in wheat and wheat flour only ; from the Baltic in wheat only; from France in - wheat only ; and from other parts of the tontinent (with the exception of Hollanc4 from whence oats arc oc. casionafty broorght),in wheal. The foreign im. portations, therefoVe,* ' appear to be almost en. tirely in wheat, which can bear little or no re. ference to the subject of corn distillation—the consumption of wheat in the distilleries being by law prohibited. It his been objected, with great plausibility, against the removal of • the present restriction on distillation, that it might eventually produce scarcity ; but nothing can be more fallacious than this objection. The 1 strongest argument for the repeal of the prohibition ' of corn distillation is its tendency to prevent scar. city. Whatever removes from the •mind of the farmer perplexity and alarm, and inspires him with confidence in the stability of the corn-market ; 1 whatever tends to increase the domestic production of corn, must be instrumental in averting the danger of scarcity; and the permission of corn distillation is attended with these beneficial effects. If, more over, grain is excluded from the distillery, the quan tity usually consumed in it will not be raised in the country, and thus we shall be deprived of the very considerable annual supply of at least 800,000 quarters, which, in any emergency, might be applied to 'purposes of human sustenance: besides the price of meat is materially affected by the prohibition of eurn distillation, on account of the feeding of cattle being then entirely discontinued in the distillery. The present Act remains in force only till the 31st of December, but a power is vested in the Privy Council to suspend lt at this time by Proclamation, and it is most earnestly to be hoped that this power will be immediately exercised. If ever there was a period in which distillation from corn should be pertaitted, that period is the present. The harvest has been abundant in an ettraordinary degree ; our foreign supplies have been most plentiful ; and the price of barleyand.uats.is depressed below all rea. suitable bounds.:-The barley counties are in great distress from thd - WINMof - a market in the distilleries ; to the aecumulatedatockrof. former4ears, which hate been perishing in the.granaries, they have pow to add those of the present _sermint ; and in the want of their natural fent for their immense stocks of grain, can it be eipected that•the agricul. tural prosperity of the country will not be materi. ally injured. The season for distillation begins- in October. It is about this time that. the distillers usually make their purchases, andarrange their plan of operations for the year ; and consequently the opening of the distilleries to corn at the present pc. riod will be pecidiarly advantageous both to the 'distillers and to the farmers, whilst any delay will be se r iously .detrimental to their interests. .Upon w hat principle, then, can the continuance at this moment of the prohibition of distillation from grain be defended ? Ce, tainly not upon the principles of justice or wise policy. 1 A. Z. A few days since Mr. ilatehman, of Stock, in Essex, who was upwards of 80 years of age, set out, as was his custom once a week, to visit his son in a village three miles distant, but not return. ing as usual in the evening, a search was set on foot for him, when he WAS discovered lying dead it: a field, about midway between his son's house and his own. The Coroner's Jury returned • verdict Died in a Fir. Last Thursday morning a Gentleman, after or. deriug his breakfast, at the hotel, at Worthing , promenaded before the door some little time, and until the waiter informed him that his breakfast was ready, when he walked in, complained of being ra. tber indisposed, •and returned to his bed-room, where he was soon afterwards found a corpse. We• understand he has been au East India Captain in the Company's service. • A potatoe.stalk was dug up in a Gentleman's garden, in Londonderry, list week, producing no Tess than 133 potatoes, weighing 28 pounds. At a sale last week, at Ketton, near Darlington, o f Mr. Charles Collingi's stock, a bull, named Co. 'met, six years old, sold for the uncommon price of 1000 guineas ; and two cows in calf, one fur 410, and another for 400 guineas. A melancholy accident happened at A ughnacloy, Ireland, on' Tuesday, the 9th inst. During the stoppi gof the mail coach in that town, the guard n bad placed himself incautiously on the roof, where be was amu,ing the passengers and byestanders with a tune on the clarionet, when, by a .sadden motion of the coach, the unfortunate man was precipitated .to the ground, and killed on Me spot. _ • . 14-7,YVVI o•i . • , , THE STATESMAN, 4. ugi coed ale glitly lid, stet and sirif their f Ili 'hut !ken, solY ; D the nJ bY as' .. ~ • ' i'llEATltgs. Covext-Gattnew.—The lovers of the drama and of SHAKESPEARE had last night a high treat at this Theatre; the Tragedy of Macbeth was performed in a manner creditable to the Theatre, and not on. Worthy of its author. Mrs. Si Dooms made her first appearance this season in Lady Macbeth. See was received with peals of rapturous applause, amid every demonstration of welcome due to transcen. dant talents like hers. It was said of her by one writer, many years ago, that her excellence had been in tile wane ever since the year 1785, but the applanses with which she was last night greeted, seemed to speak her still in • her zenith, in 1810. In many parts her performance seemed to deprive the audience of the power of ex pressing their satisfaction in the usual way, and instead of clapping their hands they paid to her dis. tinguishcd merits a higher tribute of ii-heiration, by listening with breathless awe, in silence the most profound. Her action had all her wonted majesty and grace, and nothing could excel her portraiture of the character in the scene where she takes the daggers from Macbeth, and in that where she walks in her sleep. Mr. KEWELE, In Macbeth, performed with his usual Aiscrimitiation and effect. his exit when he goes to murder Duncan, and his entrance immedi. ately after 46 the deed was done," were singularly striking, and his appearance on his return was un commonly terrific. His haggard countenance was well calculated to excite the utmost horror, and the wildness of manner with which he alternately regarded his partner in guilt, and the weapons with which he had perpetrated the horrid deed, were ad. mirably characteristic of the confusion and dismay of the midnight . assassin. His incoherent account of what he had heard was admirably conceived, and ably delivered. Ilis performance in the last act was all that could be wished. The confidence and apprehension which alternately;take place of each other in the bosom of Macbeth, and the despair into which they finally resolve themselves, were pourtrayed with the happiest effect. Mr. C. KEYBae was an interesting representative of Maeda"; and in the impassioned parts he was un usually successful. Upon the whole, the perform_ 'since of last night was a display of dramatic excel. lence which we have seldom, very seldom, seen ex celled on any stage. The House was crowded in all parts at full price, which is at least one proof tisat taste and discern. ment is not wholly emingeished among us. 1. - rceow.—Much Ado abOut Nothing and flit or Miss were the performances of last evening. Mrs. EDWIN'S Beatrice may be reckoned among her hap. piest efforts; and she was most ably Supported by WRENCII, in Benedict. They were both and des...rverily applauded. The scene of the Watch, men produced much mirth. These people in Sit AkE9. PEARL'S day bear a most striking resemblance to our present guardians of the night, as being litter for any thing than their immediate occupation.... Bit or .Ilia still continues its attraction. Indeed, aided. by the talents.of JosiNsTome, Manteers, and KNIGHT, it is nut possible to miss pleasing the lovers of broad farce. MR. LANCA.S' TER. On Sunday morning and afternoon, the truly philanthropic Bishop of this diocese (Norwich) preached a sermon at each of our churches, for the benefit of the charity.schouls of the Establishment in this . toWn, from Jeremiah xiii. 23. " Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? Then may ye also do good that are accustomed to do evil:" from which he inferred, that those-who were brought up iu ignorance rarely ever attained to 'the practice of virtue. Ile contended strenuously fur the early instruction of childreta, by • which the seeds of religion and the sublime. truths of the Gospel might be strongly impressed on their me rarities, at a time when likely to lake-the deepest root; whereas, if neglected, idieneas and vice; like noxious weeds, would spring up,.aud render them, by unrestrained passions,' unworthy of their species . , and capable of every degree of brutal violence. Ile greatly lamented that, upon calculation, it had been found that two-thirds of (he labouring poor of this country could neither read nor write—and much as had been dune by the beneficence of indivi duals, in similar charities to that for which he was now an advocate, yet he wished much to see the education of the poor more widely extended. lie very • highly complimented the indefatigable exer tions of Mr. Lancaster towards this end ; and . no. ticed, as a pro,,f of its good effects, his statement, " 6 that out of 6000 poor children instructed by him, amidst the temptations of a depraved metropolis, not a single individual had ever appeared as a criminal in a Court of Justice ;" whilst by far the greater part of those who terminated their lives ignominiously, could neither read nor write; he quoted the authority of Plato, and other ancient as well as modern di,. tinguished characters, to prove the advantages of early education, lit a political as well as religious view—he gave due tribute of praise to the Society for Bettering the Condition of the Poor ; and much regretted that in the several Laws passed by the. Legislature fur their employment and maintenance, no regular provision had ever yet been matle•for the education of the pour, which he conceived equally necessary with food and raiment, as they would thereby be rendered more useful mechanics and littsliandmen, abler defenders of their country, and better subjects ; and as ignorance was the parent of *ice, amt of refractory and debased minds, it was the height of wisdom and good. policy to iocrease t h e means o f instruction among the labouring class of the! community, who constituted the bulk of every State, and who contributed so largely to the comforts and litxuries of the middling and opulent classes of society. The above is but a very faint extract of the Bishop's benevolent discourse, which was very impressively delivered ; and the collection in both parishes amounted to $l. 4s. being a larger stun than ever remembered to have been given here on a similar occasion. . The Synod of t;l•ts:4ov, and Ayr have appointed the 29th day of November next to be ohsorved within their bounds as a day of public thanksikingi lu.r• the present plentiful crup and f4vourible harreq. t • • 7 - " - .. ~ •- , SAMPFURD GHOST. Sutcrut.-llt Boltaat, a I,tuotiress, court, !;t. J , PI! t a perlOti to her vat.sten( e, yesteitlay, by lin allowing a quantify of arsetilc, suf. liLient to have dcstioyed per3tni. The Rcv. Mr. Colton, of Tiverton, who first proclaimed himself the champion of the S'ampford Ghott, add whose pamphlet upon .the subject of the extraordinary no i ses s uppose d to be produced by it, led to the detecthin;of which we gave an ac. count on the authority of The 7'uunton Courier, has just replied to the Editor of that Journal, in an appendix to his f ormer narrative, and states as his creed concerning this mystery, " that he be. sieves in nothing but the difficulty of detecting it." 'So far from thinking that the Editor of The.l'aun. ton Courier has solved the mystery, he controctts •aliliost every one of the alleged facts which forms the basis of that statement. Ile asserts that Mr. Chave farms 1001. a year, and is a man of most respecta ble family and character, who keeps a large shop on the premises in question ; that instead of seven months, as stated by the Editor, he has resided there since July, 1800 ; that extraordinary sights had been seen there before Mr. Chave occupied the house ; that Sally, instead of being about 18, was only 16 years of age, and did not appear to be more than 13 ; anti that Mr. Taylor, instead of 25, was only 20. No dispute took place between Mr. Talley and Mr. Chafe about the painter's bill, which was a matter solely agitated between the painter and Mr. Talley. Mr. and Mrs. Chave have both deposed, that no such conversation passed with Air. Talky as was asserted by the Editor to have taken place on his going thither to sleep ; and that, instead of Mr. Talky stipulating " that none of the servants bhutdd remain un the premises, and that this was also, with much reluctance, acquiesced in," no such promise was made, nor e•iiai asked, and not a single servant was sent out of the house on that occasion. The conversation between Mr. Talley and Dodge is acknowledged to be true; and that Dodge slept with the apprentice boy, on account of the latter having been frightened. Mr. Talley supped on the evening in question in the lower room, through which Dodge must and did pass ap stares to bed ; for instead of three entrances to get up stairs, a carpenter has made oath that there is but one.— Dodge has deposed, that there were no curtains to the bed ; that Mr. Talley did not desire him to pull off his clothes ; and that he never mice . that night or day entered Talley's room. Instead of Talley " having locked all the doors, and taken the keys with him, so that Dodge could not quit the room ucat morning till Mr. Talley came to let him out," it is proved that the door of that chamber had nei ther key-hole, lock, bolt, bar, nor any thing to secure it, but a common thumb-latch, catch oven which aas gone. Mr. Talky since ac knowledges that lie did not lock a single lock, nor put a single key into his pocket. A carpenter, after having minutely examined the house, has sworn that the walls of the two rooms iii which the noises by day were principally heard are not bat tened, but solid walls ; that it is impiissible asiy human agent could act between the flour and the ceiling, and that such noises could not be pro. duced by any act or ingenuity with which he is ac. painted. The marks and mutilations on the ceiling are proved. to have been occasioned by attempts to imitate the noises ; but 'woe of them corresponded td the shape of the mop.stick. The allegation of the l'autston Courier, that Mr. Taylor had been under taitiou fur a considerable time, leaguing slight-of-hand tricks, and conjuring, Ate. of a :sir. Moon, is flatly contradicted by Mrs Taylor, who has made affidavit, and appeals to all his friends, and to Mr. Moon hignielf, in confirmation of it—that he never saw Mr. M. exhibit but thrice—never was in company with him but twice—and never was uu. der his tuition one hour. As a proof that the extra. ordinary noises, &c. have not ceased, Mr. Sully, an ElCisi.tOilleer in that neighbourhood, has recently made an affidavit, that ou Friday, Sept. 14, he went, about ten at night, into a chant her, described as hating a large modern Window in it ; " that he desired Mr: C. and Mr. Taylor to walk up with him, • and to place themselves at the window, and on no account to move from it ; that Mr. Sully then held the door in his hand that leads from the larger tutu • the lesser room, in which lesser r oom a single wo man only slept ; that Sally was confined with Mrs. Chive during the whole of that time iii another apartment, at Mr. Sully's request. While Mr. Sally held this dour half open in his ha which door is about three feet frout the foot of the ued in which this single woman slept, he Clearly and distilict• ly heard something coming up the stairs.; he heard it • plainly cross the'auti.chainber and come upon the bed in which this woman was. It immediately • beat her violently, principally, as Mr. S. cou'al perceive by the !wends, over the hips and le4s. In the midst of these blows, while they were iu the greatest height, he instantaneously' drew too door fully open: ' The moon'slinoe very Wight directly into the apartment; had any tiling material at.. templed to escape, lie affirmii he must have seen or heard it, is the window is very large (occupying 'lwo-thirds of the breadth of the whole room). Ile is quite positive that he heard and saw nuthiog selcape, and that Mr. Taylor and Mr. Chave kept their position at the window. The following affidavit Closes this extraordinary • pamphlet 'lgnominy, Bept.27, 1810, Jahn Chave, William Taylor, James Dodge, and Sally Case, voluntarily make oath this tiny as w o ws Twit they are entirely i m -norapt of the cause of all thnse'extettc:rdiuttry circumstances that have and are omits ring at the house of Mr. ()have the parish Sampford.— Also, that they have never glade •in, or easily part of the pre:- takes, any sounds or noises, by day or night, by blocs or knarkiiigs, either Ivith or without lot instrument, to order to induce any one human being it hatever to h sieve, or even to think, total there was any taint uaaccaantatne or supernatura I in • the house. Also, that they have never re quested any o either versciti so to do, and Vial Hwy fi rmly believe Ito such attempts have heel: in3ale by ut lrers. Alen, that Wench attempts ir,vo been made, it nits without their kuovsleditc or C9116tV.1. Also, that they MAT repeatedly heard in mid- day most violent and loud noises in their house, vireo ninneroul persons have been assembled, same in the upper, :aid some in On lower apart. meats, ut the same time ; all till of them anxious and eager to discover the cause. Also, that the marks on the ceiling he %c been made by persons tryirg, but in vista, to intimate the 'mile ccuunds. Also, that to 11w nest of tatoir knowledge owl belief s there ate no subterraneclits passaoss in or about that house. " Sworn befare me, 1 , cc. - 2711 i Sept. (OW, " .1. t:OV e, r, AlOyor el Tiverton.' :