The Sun. — London, England, 1833-05-02 00:00:00

SPIRIT OF THE PUBLIC JOURNALS. Amongst some causes of displeasure at the vote. of the House of Commons on Tuesday evening, the country will feel with us that there is one ground of solid satisfaction, in the proof thus afforded of the wholesome working of the reformed Parliament. It is not a week since, on the vote for a reduction of the malt tax, the Tory circles, and indeed half London, rung with " the certainty that Ministers must go out of office." All honest men deprecated such a result—all men of penetration treated it with contemptuous ridicule. Under the old borough system, a Mi nistry so circumstanced might discreetly have sent in their resignations —nay, would have been compelled so to do, by a second defeat, or a series of them ; for an adverse division could hardly then have been, as in the present case, accidental. But we offered a remark or two on Monday, tending to show that if Lord Grey's Government were to act hastily on an occurrence like that of Sir Wm. Ingilby's successful motion, and to throw up office after experiencing a single check in their financial course, they would exhibit an entire " ignorance of the machine which they had themselves constructed," and deserve to lose every particle - of public confidence. The truth is, that had Lord Grey and his colleagues re signed, the whole island would have been a scene of confusion within four-and-twenty hours. The bare apprehension of seeing England with out a Government, and without materials for a Government, to replace the Whigs, such as would have . gained the approval of Sovereign and people, ought alone -to have acted power fully upon the minds of Ministers as an induce ment to remain in office, and we are sure was the consideration of most immediate weight, which went to produce the large majority of Tuesday evening in support of the proposition of Lord Althorp. Undoubtedly, the object which, in common with a large body of the pub lic, we had most at heart on this late occasion, was that Ministers themselves, in accordance with the spirit manifested throughout the great towns, the capital, and the country, should have seized the tide at flood, and proposed, not re sisted, the abrogation of the obnoxious imposts, replacing them by a " property" tax. Now, with respect to this latter expedient of finance, as it has given rise to much controversy, and will be contested, we presume, during at least the present session of Parliament, it seems to us most desirable to employ no terms in the de signation of the tax that can be turned to the sinister end of raising artificial difficulties, in the shape of causeless terror or repugnance, or creating ambiguities susceptible of what deter mination artful partisans may by and by be pleased to give them, and thus unfairly dispos ing the minds of men to look at this great, equi table, and efficient measure as one fraught with oppression and iniquity. In one sense, and one only, a " property tax," and an " income tax" is the same thing—namely, a tax upon the income derived from every species of fixed and realized property. The question has been put forth in recent publications, as if a property tax must mean of necessity a tax upon landed and moneyed capital, however employed or circumstanced. That is not what we have ever deemed to . be a true description of the tax, or an honest one, of such a tax as, in this commercial country, would ever be endured. To tax, generally, the capital engaged in active commerce, would be to fetter industry in all its branches, and to impede the progress of the merchant's or manufacturer's' profits, on their way to investment, in some shape or other, under which they might be fairly made available to a tax on property. By a property tax, — that property tax, which, with all the casual inequalities inseparable from it, though we be lieve they haiie been much exaggerated, that the public may be discouraged from demanding it, .—with all these, we have nevertheless, more than once recommended, by- that tax, our intention is "a per centage tax OR revenue drawn from legally ascertained and secured property, whether land, buildings,or money at interest in the funds,on bond, or mortgage, in perpetuity, for a definite term, or for life. This is at once an " income tax" and a " property tax." But it is not a tax on pro fits, precarious, or conjectural. It waits until the profits, whether professional or commercial, shall have been converted by investment into ca pital, to which they have a general tendency, as all streams have to the ocean. Nine-tenths of the outcry which was raised against the old in come tax, was because of its warfare upon the operations of commercial industry, and for what? —for the sake of less than one-sixth of the produce of the tax. The House of Com mons has come to a decision which appears to T ender any attempt to do more than just glance at this mode of commutation for imposts not at present to be discontinued, in some measure un seasonable, or at least not pressing. The House, however, has not finally repudiated the tax, nor adopted, of pure favour, the as sessed taxes instead of it ; but has merely said, "If the Ministers resign, the finances, and the State itself, are thrown Into serious peril." Whether the choice of Lord Grey's Go vernment has been wise, we say not,--seit has, we admit, to a certain point, been successful. There is DO question that severe disappointment . will be felt throughout the agricultural districts, which have been humbugged by the landlords into a persuasion that it is the farmer who suf fers from the malt tax, and among the better inhabitants of towns who, with morel reason, feel the assessed taxes to be upon themselves a most irksome burden. Indeed, the division on Tuesday night, by which it should appear the duties upon houses and windows have been re tained, though only, we trust, for a while, has already occasioned considerable dissatisfaction in the metropolitan districts, as will probably be the case in other parts of the country. Members who have absolutely given pledges to the effect that they would rote for the unconditional reFeal, may be, perhaps, committed on the sub ject ; but others, who have declined such pledges, and yet unquestionably wish the removal of these taxes, are not so much restricted to time ; they may vote when they please for the abolition of the ;obnoxious imposts, substituting in their place others of a less Oppressive character. The retirement of Sir John llobhouse might be thought, by the force of precedent, to recommend a particular I ;_ee of conduct ; whilst , on the contrary, the hurry of the moment, and the difficulty, in a state of great e mbarrassment, of foreseeing all possible results, may be urged as reasons with Hon. Gentlemen for r etaining their seats, an d cor recting, by their future efforts, whatever m a y appear erroneous in their past conduct. We would therefore recommend to the general con stituency, and to the metropolitan districts in particular, not to be too decisive except in cases where pOsitive pledges have been given #, in • Sir Francis Burdett, Sir William Horne, Mr. W. Brougham, rnd air. Robert Grant, all declined to give pledges, thou Eli some mere Members gave, we believe, subEequelit prorniv:s. their reprehension of that which still admits of a remedy. The vote is only, as expressed by Lord Althorp, for the present ; a change in the gene ral system of taxation is, we believe, considered as inevitable.— Times. While we cordially approve of the vote on Tuesday night, and are quite sensible of the extent of the danger to which the country was exposed by the vote of Friday night, we are quite aware that the task of levying the house and window tax in the great towns, and in the metropolis more especially, will be anything but an easy one. What incenses the inhabitants of the metropolis is the unfairness of the mode of assessing them. House rents have greatly fallen in many parts of London, but unfortunate les sees, notwithstanding the rent at which the house would now let, may be greatly below the rent in their leases, are rigorously held to the latter. It has been said by some of the apologists of the house and window tax, that the objections to it were not so much against the principle of the tax as against the- unequal manner in which it was collected, and that there was, therefore, no reason for repealing the tax when the injustice could be remedied by a more impartial assessment. It is much easier to say this, however, than to satisfy the people that the inequalities will ever be cor rected. In fact, the people do not believe that the tax will ever be levied upon a fair principle. The windows can be counted, and with them there is but little difficulty. But it is quite another matter when the value of the house is to be determined. If, during the length of time that this tax has subsisted, it has always been levied in the most unfair and unequal manner, we may take it for granted that the evils complained of are inherent in the very nature of it. In fact, what has par ticularly soured the people, is the conviction to which they have attained, that all attempts to obtain redress from the most flagrant injustice are utterly hopeless. They are worried to death with surcharges, and lose their time in dancing attendance on boards, which generally turn a deaf ear to their complaints, and protect every under ling in office. We have already observed that London is less able to bear this tax than it was some years ago—that the foreign trade of the metropolis has evidently declined, and must continue to decline, as the improved modes of communication induce buyers to repair directly to the manufacturing districts, instead of supply ing themselves from the metropolis. The ge neral complaint of the inhabitants of our colonies and foreigners is, that London is a dear place— that all manner ofcharges are exceedingly high here compared with what they are elsewhere; and when objections are taken to these charges, and the ex travagant commissions charged by London traders, it is of no use to tell them that the taxes are higher in London than they are in the out-ports. If there are other causes in operation for draw ing the trade from London to other places, there is no use in aiding these causes by a tax which falls with such unequal pressure on the capital. If other towns have superior natural advantages, there is no necessity for artificially depressing London, in order to aid these natural advantages. Mr. Heathcote, the other night, made it a reason for continuing the house and window tax, that his constituents, who were farmers, did not pay them. But why should farmers be exempted ? A farmer is a manufacturer of food, and the raiser of food ought to pay for his dwelling as well as the producer of any other commodity. It is true, this might form a deduction from the landlord's rent ; but it will not be contended that landlords have any right to increase their incomes by means of giving unfair exemptions to their tenants. But what is to be done ? A meeting is about to take place in Guild hall. A meeting of the central committee of the Westminster parishes meet this evening in Cockspur-street. Every where the people are taking measures for ridding themselves of the tax. At present the tide runs very high against it. A gentleman in the city informs us that the excitement in that quarter is hardly to be conceived, and as an instance, he states that a respectable house, who gave a check for his assessed taxes on Monday, wrote yesterday to stop the payment of it. But it becomes a se rious question whether the tax shall be resisted, as we know many give out that it will be. Be fore men come to such a determination, they should coolly and deliberately ask themselves what the consequences are likely to be. If there are many men dissatisfied with this tax and dis posed to resist it, there are also many tnen who strongly feel the necessity of resisting the very first step towards anarchy. We are as certain as we are of our existence, that unions for the purpose of resisting the house and window tax, will call forth unions of men determined to support au thority at all hazards. We are sorry that the vote of Friday night should have made it im perative on the Government to resist all repeals of taxes this year, because, though the house and window tax might have been dispensed with, the malt tax in addition could not have been dispensed with. But, after the vote on Tuesday night, Ministers will not easily suffer any inroad on any of the existing taxes. What the ultimate effect of the attempt to resist may be we know not ; but we would have those who are thinking of making the attempt to reflect that it will not be an easy task. The precedent is altogether one on which people of property cannot be supposed to look with satisfaction. If resistance to the law be successful in one case, where are we to stop ? Allusion has been made to the determination of Earl Fitzwilliam, during a critical period of the Reform Bill, to refuse, in a certain case, payment of taxes. This was a noble determination ; and the country cannot be too grateful for it to the high-minded Nobleman, who put himself in the front of the battle on that occasion. But are the conjunctures similar? We were then in the midst of a revolution—for i there is no use in denying that the Reform Bill was a revolution. No man supposes that the Peers voluntarily passed the Reform Bill. The proud array of the country presented them with an alternative from which they wisely shrank. Lord Fitewilliam's declaration was made during that revolutionary priori, We have gained the organical reform for which that declaration was hazarded, and by that organical reform all other reforms and ameliorations become practicable. But the organical reform once completed, the law resumes its dominion, Revolutionary means must be left for periods of revolutions. A nation must not be always putting its masses in array against authority. We say, then, it is unfair to the high-minded Nobleman in question to adduce his example as a justification of a refusal to pay taxes at this time. We „re doing our duty to our readers to warn them to proceed with gravity and caution at this time. The tax is a most unjust one—it is injurious, above all, to the metropolis, the traders of which are ill able to bear it at this time. We wish means could be • found of relieving London from this tax, and do hope that Ministers even yet will bethink themselves of the claim of the . inha- bitants . of the metropolis for relief. But op pressive as the tax is, a good man ought to pause before he embraces the desperate resolu tion of resisting the laws in ordinary times.— Morning Chronicle. Sir John Hobhouse's resignation of his seat fur Westminster is one of the most extraordinary things of the kind which ever took place. We can understand the Hon. Baronet, or any other honourable man, declining to hold office in a Government, any of whose measures he could not support ; but why, in ceasing to be Secretary at War, he should cease to be Member for Westminster, we do not at all comprehend. And we put it seriously to the Baronet, or any of his friends, to explain how he can justify to himself and to the world such an act as volun tarily leaving the citizens of Westminster unre presented, on an occasion when, above all others, their local interests were at stake ? It is quite clear that those religious enthusiasts who look forward to the golden age of the Millennium on earth, are rational in their faith compared with those persons who expect cheap government from a Whig Administration, and such a re formed House of Commons as it can corn. nand. It was in confident expectation of a substantial relief from their intolerable bur dens which the Whigs repeatedly promised, that the people made the demonstration which insured the success of the Reform Bill, and preserved the present Ministers in power, al though their previous blunders in finance and other important matters had greatly lowered the public estimation of their capacity for office. Since then, neither the conduct of our foreign policy, nor the management of our internal af fairs, has been such as to raise the character or improve the resources of the country. We were told, when the Reform Bill was in progress, that one important consequence of Parliamentary reform would be, that it would signify nothing to what party the Ministers of the day might belong, for the House of Commons, instead of being a mere state machine, worked by the hand of the Minister for his own ends, would be a real representative body, endued with intelli gence and freedom of action—the faithful trus tee of the people's feelings and interests—too honest to barter the rights of the people for any corrupt consideration—too high-minded to be the servile instrument for registering the decrees of the servants of the Crown. Have we got such a House of Commons ? If we have, then the Reform Bill has given the country an inesti mable blessing, and great should be the happi ness of the people. If we still possessed an un reformed House of Commons, and such a House, having, in a moment of unusually generous im pulse, been betrayed into an act of indiscreet virtue, were called to account by the Minister of the Crown, and compelled to stultVy itself by rescinding its vote for alleviating one of the public burdens, within four days after it had passed, what would be said ? Would not the degradation thereby inflicted on the House of Commons be charged to the vice of its consti tution ? Would it not be said that whatever there was of independence and honesty in the House was overlayed and crushed by the mock representation of the rotten boroughs ? Would it not be universally asserted that no Minister would have the effrontery to ask a reformed House of Commons to inflict such degradation on itself? Or, if there was a Minister capable of making such a demand, his calculation upon the servility of the real representatives of the people would be met with the indignation which it deserved ? That unreformed Houses of Commons have sometimes rescinded their own solemn decisions at the fiat of the Minister, is not to be denied. But such things were said to have happened because they were unreformed. Yet it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find an instance of a solemn decision recanted in such indecent haste during the sway of the boroughmongers, as that respecting the malt tax, by which the first House of Commons, elected under the Reform Bill, has astonished the nation. Nor is there, we believe, on record an example of the House being called upon to stultify its vote by the very Minister who, as every body understood him, explicitly declared that he " would be ashamed not to carry that vote into effect." The argument used by Go vernment and its sycophants of a surprise on the first division, is a mere untruth, which is sufficiently exposed by a reference to the length of notice of Sir William Ingilby's motion on the Parliamentary papers. The argument of a " thin House" was equally valid, for, judging by comparison, there are not many questions discussed during a session affecting . property, and even life, in which the attendance is so full. Take another memorable occasion . upon which the " candid" Lord Althorp falsified, by his vote in office, his principles and his vote when out of office; we mean the discussion on Mr. Hume's motion relative to military flogging. What were the numbers on that important question? They were—for Mr. Hume's motion, 140; against it, 151 ; leaving Ministers a bare majority of 11, which was made up of men actually i n office. The whole number present, then, was hut 291. Yet Ministers did not complain of the thinness of the House, nor the smallness of the majority, although the division on the bar barous practice of flogging ran so fine, in spite of the exertions of the " whipper-in." On Mr. Patten's motion for a Commission to inquire into the execrable system of infant slavery in our factories, on which there has been, at least, four previous legislative inquiries, what was the di vision ? For the motion which is to have the effect of delaying the protection claimed for the suffering victims to an indefinite period, and is to cost the over-taxed country thousands of pounds, there were 75, and against it 73 majority 2. On this important occasion the numbers present were but 148. Ministers having thrown their influence into the scale of the masters of slaves did not complain of the thinness of the House, nor the smallness of the majority. Nor do they ever complain when mil lions of the public money are voted away after midnight, with not 40 Members in the House ! More honest and more dignified would it have been on the part of Lord Althorp to have put forward no such shuffling excuses; to have eaten none of his words; but to have given, as his only reason, the Sat of the Cabinet, and to have said to the reformed House of Commons, Sic vo/o, sic jubeo, stat pro ratione voluntas. With the rescinding of the solemn vote of the House on the malt tax, the hopes of the people a s to the repeal of t h e assesse d taxes b y the Whig Ministers are extinguished. If it had . n ot been for those hopes, which the agents of the Government very generally excited previously to the elections, the Ministers would not have had quite so subservient a House of Commons as the present one has hitherto shown itself to be ; but the early decision of the House in de fence of those sinecures which the Whigs used to describe as part and parcel of a corrupt and profligate system of government, was a tolerably deCisive indication of what practical fruits it was intended the people should derive from the Reform Bill. To be sure there are instances of individual virtue afforded by the discussion of Tuesday night, which it is quite edifying to con template. Sir F. Burdett, the once-flaming pa triot, sacrifices his passion for economy and re trenchment to that comprehensive and disinte rested love of country which begins and ends in upholding the power of the existing occupants of the Treasury benches. Dr. Lushington, with the same exalted motive, makes up his mind to lay down his popularity. We hope he does not spoil his chances of preferment by this self-denial; and a severe act of self-denial it must be, considering that it was only the other day he moved a most vehement resolution against the house and window tax at the meeting at the Crown and Anchor ! As to Sir John Cam Hobhouse, he has made a twofold sacrifice, and has thereby given an example of purity which the Government Papers tell us is actually without parallel. We must confess that some suspicion is thrown on the bona fide character of the pro ceeding by this inflated praise bestowed upon it in the Ministerial Papers. We recollect that the resignation of Sir Henry Parnell, into whose shoes of office Sir John originally stepped, was saoken of in a very different tone by those same Ministerial journals. Sir Henry declined to vote for the vile Russian-Dutch loan job, as Sir John declined to vote for Lord Althorp's mo tion. Retirement from office was the conse quence ; and, because he had dared to prefer his conscience to his place, the Ministerial Papers described him as an insubordinate Mem ber of the Cabinet, who was very properly cashiered. They said nothing of his purity or his virtue. Now if Sir John Hohhouse had resigned his seat in the Cabinet, without accept ing the Chiltern Hundreds also, what was to prevent him voting as an independent Member of Westminster in favour of the interests of his constituents and against the assessed taxes ? Having retired from the Cabinet he was free to vote against the Ministry on Sir John Key's motion, without being chargeable with insubor dination. We recollect that he had contrived also to exchange office with Mr. Stanley just before the last discussion on flogging in the army was to come before the House. He was thereby prevented from being . present on that occasion, because his seat was of course vacated. Was this public virtue, or was it manoeuvre ? As - to the assessed taxes, we are quite sure the people will not bear the "go by" which the re formed House of Commons has given to that question patiently. The surcharges of late have made them so wide awake that they are not likely to fall asleep on that subject soon again. We see that already circulars are issued, pre.. paratory to the re-election of Sir John Hob house. This he naturally calculated upon. If Westminster be not reduced in spirit to the condition of a nomination borough—if it be not as politically rotten as Gatton or Old Sarum, it will now put it to him whether he will try the House of Commons again this session on the subject of the assessed taxes: for if the Mi nisters can call upon the reformed House to re vise its decisions, so we think can the people. Will Westminster also call upon Sir John to say, whether, if he accept another office under the Crown, he will stipulate for freedom of action in supporting his principles as the' independent Member of a great popular constituency? Let us remind both him and the electors of the sentiments of a virtuous Minister. When Sully, the favourite Minister of Henry IV. of France, was told by a high minion of the Court that the King had a right to make presents and places for his favourites and the nobles, he answered, " Your Grace, this were well enough if the King took the money from his own purse; but it is against reason to take it from the shopkeepers, artisans, and agricultural labourers, since it is they who support the King and all of us." If France always had such wise and honest Ministers as Sully, she never would have experienced the horrors of a revolution. We fear that the conduct of Ministers and the House of Commons will drive the people on extreme doctrines. Such conduct will undoubt edly give strength to the advocates ofshort Par ' liaments, the ballot, and a more extensive parti cipation of the elective franchise. Hence new struggles and results upon which no man can calculate.—illorning Herald. It is an ungrateful task to blame for the diffe rence of a day, men who have won our con fidence by the sympathies of many years, and we are are never willing to censure an error of the conduct, where it is impossible to question the integrity of the motive. We say, therefore, nothing of the policy adopted on Tuesday by the Conservatives, except that we are sorry to see an opportunity lost of removing unfortunate prejudices, of conciliating dangerous animosi ties, and of rallying about the only leaders in whose hands we wish to see power reposed, the only followers by whose support they can honour ably obtain power. The opinion we entertained of the proposal of Lord Althorp was expressed on Tuesday, without asperity we trust, but certainly without reserve. What we did not endeavour to dissemble, we have now no desire to retract. We think the vote on Lord Al thorp's motion a most unhappy one. Our horror of a property tax is not, we confess, so strong as that which Sir R. Peel appears to entertain for it; but if we hated a property ' tax as fiercely as Mr. Cobbett hates a Jew, or Mr. Buxton a planter, we should have pre ferred the imposing of a property tax, to the rescinding of the vote on the malt tax. The decisions of Tuesday night have injured, in the estimation of the country, almost all men of almost all parties ; Whigs and Tories ; Lord Althorp and Mr. Baring ; Members for large counties and Members for populous towns. The House of Commons itself has forfeited whatever doubtful respect was yet professed for it by those who were most tartly in their con version from error, or least willing to avow their conversion. But we leave these topics, and pro ceed to look into the history of these extraordi nary proceedings for lessons which hereafter may be useful both to the governors and the large which csoinrs jtiottilienncHieosbiombusseervaendthse governed. Let th ose w h o see k t h e su ff rages o f t s i es Bur dett, irdFiffiracnucli and Dr. Lushington and Mr. William Brougham, have placed themselves by the readi ness with which they promised what they so readily discovered it would be impossible to perform. Patriots, brazen of forehead, indefatigable of lungs, have been for years insisting on the repeal of a particular tax, and, for their perseverance, have been sent triumphantly to Parliament by all the respectability of Covent garden, and all the philosophy of the Crown and Anchor. Grave and experienced lawyers, within the last few weeks —nay, within the last few days — have been attending meetings of their consti tuents, called for the purpose of remonstrating against the continuance of this tax i and they have been proving, by the active part they have taken in these meetings, their approbation of the sen timents of those who composed them. What has been the result ? Let every man who envies the present feelings, or covets the present posi tion of Sir John Hobhouse, of Sir Francis Burdett, of Dr. Lushington, of Mr. William Brougham, proceed to distinguish himself as these illustrious persons have done, by the con cocting of such rhetoric as Dr. Carpue shall applaud, and the making of such promises as Mr. Gough. shall exact. Let the electors whose favour shall hereafter be courted by large assu rances and boisterous professions mark well the predicament in which the unlucky constituencies of Westminster, of Southwark, of Finsbury, are placed. They hare selected for their repre sentatives the demagogues who vowed the readiest submission to their dictation, the most perfect compliance with their caprices. They have found that the men who were base enough to flatter are false enough to betray them. Let them distrust for the future the de- nunciations of abuses which do not exist, and the anticipations of reductions which cannot be effected. Let them not impose upon their re. presentatives the pledges by which Dr. Lush ington and Mr. William Brougham were bound. They will then never have to impute to their re presentatives the dastardly desertion of which Dr. Lushington and Mr. William Brougham have been guilty. And, finally, let all sensible and calm spectators of passing events observe how difficult it is for the representative of a hundred thousand ten-pound householders to exert in his country's councils sound discretion or upright independence. Legislation has done its best to make eloquence, learning, industry, all useless to the land which produces them. We believe there is no man profligate enough to deny the existence of the evil. How many are there honest enough to attempt the intro duction of the remedy e—Mornin g Post. AGRICULTURAL REPORT FOR APRIL. The month of April has not abounded in April wea ther—at least it has been colder and less nautiole than usual. There has been a good deal of moisture, but no heavy rains —cold, but not cutting winds; frosts, occa sionally smart, but not severe; and some thunder and lightning. Grass and herbage is backward, and so are flowers, and the foliage of the wood lands ; but it does not follow that any or all of these will be ultimately much in the rereward of the season, or in any degree less vigorous and luxuriant ; for, if the ensuing month be mild and ge nial, so that vegetation may continue in an uninterrupted progress when once it has commenced its growth, it will fir outstrip that earlier produce which is sometimes fos tered by a warm April, and checked by a chilly May. 'Mere is therefore no substantial reason to lament a short postponement of the beauties of spring, although perhaps the garlands of this May-day may be somewhat less pro fusely decked with many- coloured wreaths of flowers than usual. The weather has had the effect of altering for the worse the colour of the growing wheats ; frosty nights, with occasional sunny mornings, and some cold rains, have given it rather a sickly hue, but the check is better now than later, and a abort period of warm days and nights will soon restore its appearance, and in the mean time no plant is lost, except in very cold, unkind soils, and the blade, though discoloured, is strong, and the root healthy. Oats come up boldly and vigorously, and present a fair promise to the eye. The main crop of barley has been put in during the past month, and far mers speak of the season in very different terms, according to the quality of the land they happen to occupy. In soils wherein exist any considerable proportion of tenacious loam, and where turnips have been fed off since the be ginning of the month, and the ploughing, consequently, delay until the eve of sowing, there the furrow has un questionably turned up tough and cold, and the seed has gone into the ground under unfavourable circumstances. But in mild, kind, barley soils, and in light uplands of every description, the situation best adapted to the growth of this grain, or where the ground was ploughed up in good time, so as to catch a few of the frosts which bave occa sionally chequered this mild spring, there the ground has worked well, and farmers say they never had a better seed time in their lives. Pulse of all kinds are in general backward in their growth, from the lateness of their sow ing ; but in roan) places there is little reason to complain of their appearance. The young clovers and grasses have made a shoot within the last week or ten days, and their appearance in general, bough not very forward, is flourishing and strong; in some cases the cloves are rather patchy, but this is chiefly where surface water has not been sufficiently carried off, or other untoward circumstances connected with the cultivation, or the season, have occurred. Rye is not very forward, but has been br, ught into consumption as the water-meadow of the uplands. Turnips are now nearly all consumed, ex cept where a few lingering Swedes are still preserved in the dry, backward uplands, until the grass shall have at tained sufficient growth, in those trying situations. The turnip crop, though only partially good, and in many dis• tricts far from abundant, has seldom been more useful or effective than this year. The season, though not remark ably cold, has afforded less encouragement to the turnip plant to throw up its flomer-stalk than has often been known. In districts where it is no uncommon sight to see fields of backward turnips blossoming as yellow as gold, it has been difficult to detect a single flower. In consequence, the roots have continued firm and hearty to the last, and even now the few remaining Swedes are almost as juicy and nutritious as at any period during the season. Sheep have, therefore, done well on turnips during the month, notwithstanding the weather has sometimes been rather unfavourable, and the lambing-season has concluded with partial, and not considerable, losses in ewes and lambs. In the meat market the supply of lamb has been moaerately good and plentiful ; that of mutton has been limited, but both have probably seen their highest prices for the season, and are now on the decline. Beef has been in better supply throughout the month than mutton, and has experienced but little variation. The state of the corn market seems as dull and discouraging as ever; the little appearance of improvement, which once flattered us, soon vanished, and was followed by a heavier depression. 14 is true, the best samples of wheat continue to obtain nearly the same sums as at the beginning of the month, but even middling qualities do not readily find customers. Barley is lower in all its grades, and oats continue much at the same point, heavy corn about maintaining its value, inferior, dull, and difficult of disposal. Time was when such a state of things, with tha Gazette prices at 53.. Bd. for wheat, 265. 2d. for barley, and 16s. 11d. for oats, rind real averages, undoubtedly much lower, would have called forth a clamour from one end of the agricultural body to the other ; but they are now used to it, they take it patiently—kr this reason among others, that too many of them dare not talk too loudly of their failing circum stances, lest they should draw those creditors upon them whom they have not the means of satisfying. Such is the blessed result of that protecting system, for which the farmer has so long clamoured and talked, and for which, if opportunity se. ved, he would talk and clamour still. " Laissez nous-fuire," said the wise traders of France to Colbert, `• Laissez-nous faire"—(Let us alone), but the farmers of England would not be let alone—they would have protecting duties, even if they had taxes more than enough to counterbalance them, until being pushed up by one, and pressed down by the other, they have had, between the two, the very life-blood squeezed out of their bodies. MARKET INTELLIGENCE. (From the " London New Price Current" of yesterday.) SUGAR.—The Sugar Market was ♦ery firm last week, and the prices of coloury were in many instances 6d. to is. per cwt. higher, but no general improvement in the currency sould be stated; the estimated sales of the week were 2,500 hhds. and trs., which was a large sale considering the reduced stock. The Market is still firm ; the estimated sales this day are 1,000 hhds. and trs. The stock of West India Sugar is now 13,114 hhds. and trs., which is 2,352 more than last year. The stock of Mauritius is 97,577 bags, being 51,367 more than last year. The delivery of West India Sugar is 2,990 hhds. and trs., being 1,355 more than last year. The delivery of Mauritius 8,744 bags, being 2,811 less than the corresponding week of 1832. In the Refined trade there has been much firmness; there have been sales of Lumps at 615., and there are few left in the Market, and in consequence the holders look for a further improvement ; the advance of Crashed to 295. 6d. has prevented transactions to any extent; the chief purchases are of fine goods by the wholesale grocers for the home consumption of the country. The Market this afternoon appears cleared of low goods, and the prices are again 6d. higher, low Lumps 61s. 6d. English Molasses 235. EAST INDIA SUGAR.—The sales last week were confined to small parcels Siam and Manilla Sugars, at former prices. At this day's public sale 4,236 bags Manilla Sugar, nearly the whole was taken in 20s. 6d. a 235. MAURITIUS SUGAR..--The public sale of Friday, 5,177 bags Mauritiul sold 6d. to Is. per cwt. lo) public sales consisted of 6,793 bags ; the whol ness 6d. to Is. per cwt. higher than on Frit must, in consequence, be stated to have reek depression of Friday, and firm at the improveral FOREIGN SUGAR.—The only sale lately reported is a contract for about I, Havannah, deliverable at an opposite port, H This day's public sale, 1,6 17 boxes aVannsh ord. to good 255. a 28s. ; uncommonly fine the prices may be considered Is. and 18. 6d. public sale, and 2s. a 2s. 6d. lower than thi contract, or at what these Sugars had been ' Average price of Sugar, 11.55. 10 lid. per cwt. WEST INDIA MOLASSES. —The sales Molasses have been considerable; the purchi" at 245. and 245. 6d. for fair quality, and the been repeatedly refused. COFFEE.—There was little change in last week in prices, but there was an improi mand for Foreign and East India, on accoui able reports from the Continent ; St. Domini and 565. ; Sumatra ordinary at 51s. up to 565. 525. was refused for low and good ordinary • public sales 960 bags East India, Ceylon soli and 575. 6d. ; the Sumatra rather lower, ordii 51s. for good ord. The Coffee Market general firm. RUM, BRANDY, AND HOLLANDS.— Leeward Island has been very limited, and I made on lower terms ; the prices of Jamair supported, as the late supplies of the latter co. Brandy is very dull at the late reduction i n the Pr' continues at nominal quotations. ~,n hes 6 TALLO W.—The Tallow Market ha s prices are a shade lower. D ortel l 4l TURPENTINE—No sales to notice; . 111 . t or at 12s . Spirits are a shade dearer, and more ' for some months past. bi TEA.—The limited. iu oohne a t ts r h a ec n ol s a a ns c tt t i n i s o au n lee s i a n t , T a e n a d 3 c f aornkgeot l SALTPETRE.—The late advance in Salw— tained. rit > agzon C ue O rta TT 2l2,so. O rd N iTn .— harisy T d h sao e yld, Cotton Market continues / - 0 COCOA.—The demand for British Plan t:4 , l ' o. A .L. 3 65' 6 I:eaniu.nl 7.0 S ss pu s. bl a i n c d saTe . 2 ; 4o g ra d g sold 60s. a 655. r Pe SPICES.—There are considerable sales 0. - I fido The prices are little varied ; half heavy, 334., d " purchases of Pimento have also been large, 7 - ol sales of the last two weeks ; good quality, 4 )4";f the INDIGO.—The speculators continues watclnp pr Market, and take off all parcels offering at marks the Indigo taken in at the late India House sale posed of at full Market prices. t p s r e oRI s l‘pvLOeeeiionkl havingssi e a lfe do r ar e basoeehxsiealhipdiaoleldaraet::geetelltiyotoewnrpe.e,sys purchasesoee pressed y i o n foe g bi eee e p. pei . during u f uu obr O Southernlast rer Wal B lls Wal l l ls ‘Lvveiaa Walls slliLambssslspet. F ;E:Emenruninn:::tdddisiesr or iiiop ) l Walls End Str l ia ßtellt y Walls End Aue` 50 0 Walls . End Goltot , P Walls End Stoe Walls End Tee' Blythe Cowpen Howard's/iet he al Ilangenneeh C A VE Reynold's Oa . 0; r i Thorpe's GaWb e ' Warde's Llan Walls End AP- market-d 3 l' os ll / 011 ges d EIS DURING Barley. S. t o 22 ef e e 16 00 e . 266 2 g 6 1 g. 6 6 56 26 50 20 9 0, 24 20 90 st , 22 2-2 0 14 9. 4 18 0 2 28 52 21 30 50 20 0' 17 4 1 21 g 3 21 eg, 24 i ~~ I ~~ 4 44, 1 41 1 : 14 ta :41„ 'Li any add, e , 0 Itich tOlt hb 4hkthor L ot Itt 01 ' 14 01 s ; t &I. t 4 t C, Tbit ' ower. - . 'rid ay th e 'ra a fr o • t r:e , ° afClae::::[1:411. I NT RlbtlEA:' 100 011 1q fr 1 • co' wa s tako l , .17 pr t 01 lower t 10; ir AIN , he pries b 1 previoualt rtqz fo rt. _.„t lee of IY7 ItlraA lases last 0°- rpezi; " ke latter b 1 nt • • .; the COgge cementthe"vi ant of 10. ' legs, ,ngo so ld P ;s. for 804 , 4444 , „i Bran. 1 01. Id at k ery [wa ry 4ix b.be 4,4 eralll m ay re °f el‘d --The d Lerso4lll urchase/0 rmaritiii ti Lica f!un i , • tr l ' are In _ nrices E COAL MAR Per Ton, a. d. ALdalr's 16 0 Beaumont l5 0 Charlotte Chester Main l3 0 Dean's Primrose 14 6 Felling 14 6 Holywell tft1.14.04.00.11...........• 15 6 Kenton West 15 0 Ord's Redhugh 13 6 Pontop Windsor 16 6 17 9 West Hartley --..... 15 6 Wylam , 16 9 Walls End Bell & Brown 15 6 Ditto Bell, Robson, & Co. 15 9 Walls End Bewicke & Co. 17 9 Walls End 14 6 Ditto Burraton 15 3 Walls End Callerton 13 0 Walls End Carr and Co. 14 9 Walls End Gosforth 17 6 Walls End 15 0 Ditto Killingworth 15 9 Walls End Newniarch— 16 0 Ditto Northumberland.. 15 6 Ships arrived since] :COUNTRY CO R N MARK Wheat. Per Quarter. Birmingham..,,,«. Bridport --....--. Cirencester aringdon- Guildford Hereford Highworth ........ Maidenhead ....... Monmouth...-...—. Reading Salisbui : y--....—, Southampton —... Stroud Tewkesbury Uxbridge Wantage---- Warminster Windsor Worcester..—«.. NORWICH, April 2 1 Wheat (per qr.) 42s 553. (30s. I Beans (Per q''' 20s. 30s. 31s. Pease, - Grey< Oats 20s. 235. 255. Flour, finet!:, 30 32 CANTERBURY, April 27 _ Or) 535. to 60s. 01(1. , ""]„ rea. - 465. to 56.1. Barley, Malting 265. to 325. Grill ,l " . et°, Oats Beans Pease 305. to 365. G rey " fO i MANCHESTER, April 27 * Is. 9'. tO,l Wheat, per 701 b. Bs. 6d. to Bs. 10d. Red ...... g g Barley, per 601 b 5 0 5 6 Oats ...••• 55 Beans, per Imperial quarter ['ease, White, per Imperial bushel ........... Malt, per 6 Imperial bushels.. Flour, per Sack of 2801 b Wheat, whit' Flour, per Sack of 280Ib. ............ .:=2::::% 18 : v o , i 10 0 ' 0 5 ° I ' 1 LEWES MARKET.—AO II to r, 1 0 0 .- ei '' Co White Wheat (per quarter) X 2 1 5 0 1- i t opd Red ditto 2 8 0 1 1 '• Barley—. —,.. 1 3 ,c), 0 4". , . Lo t Oats, New ----.....---. —... 016 - o tit , %V° th 4 I Pease..-..... ''''*'• 1 13 0 P er 'I 4 AN , Oil Cake. New ,12 0 15°' e' .51 ; 1 / i 4 t t ,4 111 0 HULL MARKET.ErE—Apn ~..,,, r Wheat, Old /i' i, ' l 3' s. 50s. 565. ......iNe,_„ ° ,;:j....o. N: ... , t d Foreign - . 0 „ 4 . % 4 4 , N 'stlljl Oats, Poland Old ........ ~ 4 , ~ .1 ~,, 11, Small or Feed —s. 14s. 20s ................... „ , 17";.; r „ 4 ljo i Foreign — s. I4s. 15s .............. ;•,,',;1,1..,;,'„. qetp Barley, Norf. & Suf —s. 21s. 265. Line. •& ...,,r. , --- Foreign .......................................... '' . .... 5 9 : Beans —s. 9.85. 30s. Foreign ••' ..„.:3 5 , 0 4, Pease, White —s. 365. 38s. Grey .......... ~ , ,;,, 4 ' 1, 0 ,, 1 Tares A. 38s. 40s. Foreign •~ j . ... •, lo 'kte Rapeseed, in Isoml none. ii 8 0, o, lg tl : Lott CHELTENHAM MARKST. --Al'r • ti c4 , 4 Per Bushel. s. d. to s. d. p er ID. ~,,.. 1,,, , Wheat ßarley 6 0 8 0 8vef..... ................... ,„.. I / , e iNl, l , llr s 4 0 5 6 Mutton ............. "' 0 ke Zeal Oats 4 0 4 3 Veal ................ , Beans v( Pease 5 0 7 0 Lamb ........... ; ton' Hay .. 00. P e° '3/. lOs to ;3/. 15s. , ,tl , t r il ' 3 ' a 0 DUMFRIES MARKETS.- - AP r - 0 N l k It, 5.•.... 9,4 V) Wheat, Imp. Bush... 60to 6 6 Butter, 18 0 ' .', I '4 Barley .... . .„,s. : 0 i Oats ... Hour, 141 b. 3 0 3 4 Mutton ... ... ~. „ t 4, Oatmeal 01 0 Potatoes, cwt.... ..... __.....,..---- , 15°'si 11 'l' r ri 4 , ,, IRISH MARKETS . y Al' •4 i , 0 t DUBLIN MARKET NOTE.—Fg I " -1 1 .° 0 / I cil 1/ ?ltt, From 51 0 , llt ill tti i 601 Wheat, per barrel 20 stone 23 0 ....-- Al 0 kL v 0 Bet e ........... l6 stone 0 __.. 'o' / 1 68 Barley.--„,--..... 16 stone 16 0 10 0 g , k4j 1 , 1 111 1 2,415 Oats --,....—......... 12 stone 76, 19 0 . '' 10,922 Cwt. Flour—.—. 9 stone 6 0 13 19 , t) lti'l 1,277 0atmea1.,.,,,..,,,.,,.,, 8 stone 8 0 0 ,C P, ' % 411)1 Sold to Bakers only. 19 ro 1,. lh, 8,865 Cwt. Flour IL 0 0,1. pod, tO , V 'l., Average price of Wheat and flour 40t, tis• 0 3, t o 1 T Receipts of Flour, 10,5701 Firsts, .„.........., 05.,,,,t, t , 1114 ii, SCCOTI', , fr o ° ol rn 6,..."3.' IN' 'it Sales of Do. 10 922 ' Third 5,,.......... “ ,c 0 'th'4\ ll I t Palcit 0 BREAD._ er n rCA e t4 N,i,,: Quartern Loaf ,.....—.7d. HalfitUt l3 _!!--4 tr ' :,, ,1 A '''i,;4ti Wheat, Barley. Oats. /' 411. 1' ''' per barrel per barrel per barrel ....... 2 . 5 . t>,.. 4. 0 - ikt 20 stone. 16 stone. 14 stone. .. d i' 0 -------- s. ,t, 31 8 6 0 0 1,,, ~ s. d. a s.d. s.d. as.d.s. d. a 5.‘ 1 :, 1 4 6 1 9 0 1 0 (1 l'ol b . ! Cork --„,.... 18 0 25 913 6 15 .2 8 2 9 ';', 1 6 0 1 8 00 0 ~ mi tr i tit Limerick i 9.3 4 259 94 11 4 82 --- `,. 0' 0 I / 0 01 , ,Co-; " %, Waterford 21 0 25 010 0 12 0 7 0 8 1 - ,' 16 0 6 . ! „ 0 „/ .411-, I. Clonmel .....23 4259122 13 0 7 0 '6.20 ___..6 t rt' i tt,, Carlow ...—...125 0 26 011 0 12 0 '7(2_,......'...---.' ----- 1111 0, 1 / ,t % .kt, Beef, Mutton, Pork, ist _ 24. .../,,,1, 1 % I , ' per lb. per lb. per cwt. ._,,...... -1 . s• lie, ' 1 li'i s l() -----.— —.---.. s d. ~ 050 0 ,1 4:t% t i d. ad. d. ad.s.d. a s• d r ; .- , ',2 oq, 0 V o ilL , (\L i t' o Cork 5 6 5 623 0 = 5 ; „`" g l 4 07, 0 10 ii ii, ' , N Limerick— 21 41 31 434 0 35 ,",iO6 0 808° 0 ... o ', rh,, . •,) WatertOrd 3 6 3 3:3 0 13 ,,'" ‘ `lk, 0 ,:, 00 5 , ) •r„t^titl Clonmel 31 451 61 32 0 3 1,' 0 70 o ~,, , el., 414, 4 Carlow— 4 51 0 0 0 0 ' OW 0.0 r,,,., , 4 • „, te ~10 , ,- , el y , 1 1 KILKENNY.—Butter 745 to 7. s. Perspats I ~.,_. ,g, 1 tlr ~ t t i ,„ per barrel ; Flour Ots. to 345. per bag i ,y . p er I , i-v c ' et ,vtor, rei ; Barley 12s. to 13s. ; Beef d t0 ,. _11 . d. 1 . ~ , I ?p o pil to kl. ; Potatoes 2d. per stone; C° 3 " A 4ll, .4, , Pigs 2.35. to ;30s. per cwt. 4 '''N't 14 t t Urs, D „ ir e, , S CE A Jiliivis- soforasii ~, 4.., k;k 1). On the 23d tilt., at Ingestre Rectory, gev• I ~,m l ty ~4 r (tic / 'Tth •of / Mrs. Talbot, of a daughter. e lady 0 ' j i h is „,, On the 2ilth ult., at Honiton, th 4 1 ~,, L rctf , Tucker, of a son. ~ 0 , t lu .1. 1 4 . .44 MARVE?' a ver,sq u tVza l ' e 4 , ti r ,ti i , On the Ist inst., at St. George's,,,,, to ,--,. 0 0 A L ; -it ; man, Esq., of lromley , - daughter of the late Mr, Pco°rtemr,l°Cliaring:Cr,°e; 11.4r,1 t e 1i c , ... on Robert l'ob!_,,n ri , 1 41 / 41 % ' ' ) l Ott the I 1 the at West Ham, , aughter of Ju" to Emma Eugenia, youngest daughter . 4 0 A, t: l Vith Esq., of Upton, Essex. Of 0. I.l' 14 g '41 4 DIED. . • nder, P ell, On the 30th ult , Mr. J. Smith, boo kbinder' 0 A'1 11 44 I A t P at St. John'ssteet-road, aged 45. ~ _ , witliai o., r tp , , 41 t kil On the 30th ult., at Lynton-c..nttag ie r e etshir e 'f o rtoi of le 4 .11N1t ford, Esq ,of ynehead-court, Son . J. 1. ' Rathe r : colic Al % _ o_ , On the 27th ult.,at 13rentford , mr , Dt,,ples, fo e, goi Opt On talsseAli9atphiesu,lta..:,,q at,Fenwick, • ' t l tt, i ll of Toorns,aged r e . ,,, , i s tir e d ' i't,tt , ) Gt r , tt On the 25th ult., at Itushby Green, 44 . James Thomas, F..'sq., formerly of Greettwtco,:_irio, r' 1 ti t ,_ MURD ° 1 0* Pima's. AND PUBLISHED BY ~ LoND Sum Orms, 112, tra ' n ew 4 I - ' '. '' ' A . . I • '4' 4. , ' . -. ....,..!;. .