The Express.
London, England, 1849-06-05 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 5, 1849.

AGRICULTURAL DISTRESS.

TO THI EDITOR OP Till ZIPILISII.
811,—I find you have made allusion to the corre-
spondent* between me and my landlord telatim to
Ins proposal of my giving up my lease, and you have
also made an impreseton (relative to the ask of my
wheat) that I had not stated things as they are. You
will oblige me, therefoce, by giving to your readers
my letter to the duke, in which, contrary to your ex-
pectations, I do agree to give up#he farm, provided I
am fairly reimbursed. I suppose you wish to see
fair play prevail in the world; and as I am a sab-
ot:ether to a reading room in which your newspaper is
regularly taken, I should like to have to say that,
although the Express is a free ttade paler, it will
give the other Ede se well. I send you a Bailor('
Times containing my letter, and you will oblige by
insertion, Your obedient servant,
WILLIAM BENNETT.
Leweey, Dunstable, Jane 2, 1849.
The following is the letter referred to by our cor-
respondent:—
Ma. W. BIMINI? IN ZNPLT TO Till DONN ON BEDFORD'S
APPLICATION TAILT NI OUOVLD OITIO UP MS LEJAZ.
" Lowery, Dunstable, May 30, 1849.
My Lord Duke —I sliould not be doing justice to my
own feelings, u I Wore rot to say that the letters I have re.
costly repined from your Willis'scs relative to the part I took et
the farmers' sainting in W Itoonali, have grieved me
much, and which tt seems you have now thought proper to
publish even before you got my unser, bed
given me leave to take time to erneider your prop eel of giv-
ing up my lease. I waive, however, you have dropped the I
latter part of the correspoodeacer
Your grace has now pretty well advertised me
through the country, but there is one advantage I feel
it has given me, that is, I may now, without hesiteacy,
also appeal to the bar of public *pinion, and for myself
lam content to abide the issue. M, own conviction is
that your grace will not ultimately admire your new posi-
tion. The first ground of complaint I make is, the air of
liberality sad professed consideration fur my interest which
your grace has mausged to give to the affair, and by which,
getting the int wort, you are I.kely to make en impression
upon that pinion of the public who understand 'netting of
farming arranges, sad more especially those who have so
sympathy with farmers in their now altered circumstantial.
With such parties the feeling will necessarily be, " Well, Mr.
B meth is very loud in his comptaints of the hardship
condition bet when liberally offered to be released, it=ofhis
to be all skein; he knows better than to give up his
trust him fee that." That will be the free trade view of
the subject But what are the reel merits of this quer
Lion ? Why, hers is a nobleman who, with moat com-
manding influence, has taken a very prominent put fa
carrying a measure that has deprived the bulk of the
tenantry of the kingdom, by o fell swoop, of &boat
one fourth of their property, anne d will reduce, in all peal
Debility, the ratan annual income of their farms to thinker'
aseirant. The tenants of this hobleman, among the rest,)
'napkin of their altered paid ,n. One is put forward at a
public meeting, availing himself of his constitutional rights
(so stied) boldly end fearlessly, to state, on his own behalf
and that of the isometry of the country, that they ban beta
shernefully used, and that, if the measure be persevered in,
without reduction of burden*, it most and in their ruin.
This nobleman tells this tenant virtually, " rue prospest
is now becone so very hopeless, you had better turn out."
Very good. But where is be to turn in
If any part of tin kingdom bad been saved fr:sn the opera-
tion of this mischievous law, it had been another thing. Bet
L.Wity Yarn happens to be no further involved than all
other fauns el the country.
But your grace further sue, "as you eou'd not en-
Ccipate corn law mesa when yen took your lease, it
would be hard to hold you to it when your prospects
according to your own account, have been rendered so hope.
ken" Now, it a different feeling bad not unhappily crept
out, this would have a:speared very kind ; or if 1 bad maw
plained of my lease, either publicly or prisarely, I admit it
would have been a very fair retort ; but, ia the whole of my
speech, the word lease never once occurs, nor was I treating
the subject as at all exclusively applying to gee own fans,
bat taking it up es bearing upon the interestsrally el
she whole farming community of the United Kiogclem.
But, my lord duke, I fear she animus but two crawly shows
itself as you rooted. Your gram says: " Yeu tempt me to
add a few words as to your speech in Wilds's booms" now we
all know that we are seldom tempted to acts of kindness);
you add, " f mast have spoken advisedly when I said a free-
trade parliament had virtually carried off pretty well sae.
fourth of the corn stacks and cattle of the lannen, and that
this not was Ghent tantamount, as far se the tamers were
concerned, to blasting sae-fourth field of the couetry." I
did, my lord duke, speak advisedly, and I cannot housed,
retract a word I uttered on that occasion, for every_ tale of
farming stock only t:o clearly proves this tact. regret,
therefore, exceedingly, that, for giving expression to these
convietions, your grace really mems to be so mach offended,
that yin wish to get rid of me—although you admit "you
have never heard of a word, either in public or in private,
escaping me re Antic' on you as a landlord, and have always
been old that my farm is well cultivated—arid not long ago,
when I rode over it, it appe.red in excellent order, and
Willis d
under the best management." But to come hack to
I toms, (the real source of annoyance) you maid surely be
aware that there were many more of your grace's tenants
present, and heartily respond ng to the above sentiments.
Indeed, I know the greater body of them are much con-
cerned that you should, under the circumstances of the
country, unhappily have gone to the fullest extent with Mr,
Cobden on the corn laws. The charge, however, is not in
the tenantry, bat in the landlord ; for, lot me here beg of
your grate to reed the enclosed copy of a letter which I had
the honour to receive from ye or late revered lather :
[Exact Copy
Woburn Abbey, Jan. 22, 1831.
Bir,—l have read with much pleasure your latter
dated the 6th inst., in the last number tf the Fanners'
Journal, and am happy to see the name of a Bedford-
shire farmer affixed to it who possesses the tact and
the ability to advocate the eau* of agriculture, of the
farmer, aad of the labourer ; but what more Dame- I
dietely induces me to take up my pen, is the circumstance
of your hieing alluded to me in the course of your letter.
I trust it is hardly necessary for me to say that I should full
mbamed of myself if I could at any time " make a
tweet's improvements a motive for increase of rent."
Beets conduct on the part of a landind must be an
effectael bar to all improvement during the term of a
lease, and I imagine few landlords eau be so blind to
their own interests as not to adopt a similar policy,
and I can therefore claim no merit for so acting.
The laws of landlord and tenant undoubtedly re-
quire revision and slum reform ; as you justly observe, the
lomat is not now sufficiently protected. I trust the legisla-
tes, will turn its attention to this important poir t. We
lownow fortunately a king upon the throne, woo deeply
impressed with the importance of protecting our apiculture%
interests. And in an an :ism I had of his M:yesty, vary I
shortly after his secession, he was pleased to assure me that
it was fully his intention to give every e courepment in his
power to agriculture. We have now, ales, a First Lord oi
the Treasury and a Chancellor of the Exchequer who an
both practical farmers on their resew-dye estates to a liege
extent, and who are firmly convinced that protection to
agriculture is the best foundation of our agricultural and
mansfactuting prosperity.
I am, air, your obedient servant,
ENDPORD.
" To lir. William Bennett, Marston."
and then say, if for adhering to such beautifully ex-
pressed and truly patriotic sentimmts, from such squatter,
I deserve to be plated ie the position your grace has thought
propu to plies me. Bat let me now, if possible, disabuse
' your grace as to the sale of wheat ; for I fear your grace hes
bun labonring under gnat misapprehension of that affair.
The mm of 46e. per quarter was not refused by me, be-
cause its as bid ; nor was it likely, because we sell
here by the load of five bathe* • and I was making, up to
that time (January), Ms. per gad of my beet wheat, and
was at the market table bid that price by the person who,
two days afterwards, Wight the remainder of my stock at
31s. 3d. per lead, whisk peeves to be 60s. per quarter, the
meter part to be diernred next July. (A
mosetrous prim, Si be sure!) Sir Charles Wood's
beautiful ex, kola 465. to 605., was therekce a
I mere flourish el trumpets, and, as the matter was a pare
speculation, meening some time previously, could have
nothine whatever toils with the actual value of wheat at the
time Sir Charles ins *saki ; and it was evidently a far.
fetched affair, thtimiM to invalidate my statesman at
Willie's Tim" ISA IN met a slur cn me for my 1100111211111
with the Pseleiks liesisty. It proved, however, • very
isms affair aril bail as mere busbiue to be canted into the
Meuse el Osonmeth then yew panes offer to take back my
ham had to be psi into the mew* of Earl trey, in the upper
Isom ; and, surely, tog take sale a ease into parliament to
peeve the Assam of aricultural distress was both anneaso-
able and enildr, ant I believe your gram must now be
peony well of the same *Mom
BM what is most difficult of comprehension is, that your
poem eel slates what I admit (from firmer professions) I
had pommel span, vim, " That it is one of the ankh a of
piatellisel aged to allow every tenant the same freedom
deka *a Fennell is the exercise of their tonsil-
"' 'Balmy lord duke you mast pardon ate for
milks bow to per sea make these liberal sentiments cr-
imping was mallame 'Elba f For it la stapler enough that
the eskithlselmin ikkh a juries; string has been touched,
Mr laraieffasi mimMilmglandies taken place between us,
les aim entirely itemmy paid* movements.
Pk" when I met Mr. Cobden at Bedford sad entered
lito wised= waggon to appose a scheme which I did
kith owl Mill believe Met Bambinos to the best in-
seam" et die coun bat, side by side with Mr. Pym,
I thausibt myself even en ghee prettypsed emptily. Smange,
than, se * may seamy item semi petty there emir* of to
ye gesso by year snidest steward teem test moods', Teo
reuesiedused to withheld the renewal of my lease for several
mostits ; elks knew wee taken away, and it was not till
yews grass bad noshed /slims from Lord Charles and Mr.
Fyn, emedeg yen that nothing had bens said by me at Cob-
den's mesethawhieb ought to have given the Wettest em-
ail this, sad • interview in company
=Lie had taboo plea th year grass and Lord John
Bamell, that yea seaseamd to renew my lava.
And sow, again, bow truly marvellous that, kw the part I
loth at the farmers' smiles at WOlia's Beams, I ham be-
ams se tmly irksome that yoeft_paie "hems I will avail
myself of mem offer egad* ley imes, ANN it would be
111 akftlelft to see se it is ea yen, that we should
ems rehandle awl team."
.1111=1,8 Iberalsm, totter& inks, yea can reconcile all this
mak gads* Whosthin psm tenants (I will not say in
bat akeAINSIAM sway their vary livelihood),
liernress I swag for the Ilk ef ms divine.

And new to the pelt es to giving op my leave. I erre-
head I hardly need my. that so wide and stne=gy
a
proposal must necsualuy pleas esee is
Idasisg ftwasul here a large allele of Wad fgt, and some
of my family being settled lea the seighboubsod—havieg
moreover a tolerable 011eallielSD Mildeilltat cad valuer
—bat most all Whig mad
vary vary laws mondial, for
several years In the improvemest of the hue. [Goatees I did
intend to speed the remainder of my days at Loweey. Not-
withstanding all this, seeing the veil) altered peaytkii whisk
I mint Row bold, fee 1 cannot bat infer that the sense
fiche; which prompts your gnu to wish me to give up
the Iwo, would bat for that lease at once egad
me adrift—(a esti etescaable inference). If, theeskee.
I confirms my tosepalioa I cannot but feel that I shell
be an %meekness tenant, a ration I have never yet
held—while, after what kw occurred, to be on terms
wi.h your grace, I could aot regard my political freedom but
as a mere name. For all this* considerations then there
appears bat one of two courses left me, either to accede to
your gnee's strongly expre•sed wish, and quit the tarns, rte
else to bold the levee oat on unfriendly terms ; for your
grace must know by this time that I will not surrendeevia 7
real constitutioaal ptivileges. The former course p
as it is to me), will, I unless, be most congenial to my
feelings, but of course not till I procure another home, and
wi.h the distinct understanding that you all ,w me fisr all
my unexhausted improvements in the land during my mew
pang', as also for the fixtures, erections, end emendations, ist
the farm house and premises, in foot for the entire basted I
have In the occupation tor the remaining 13 or 14 yeses of
the lease, takin, off my stock, crops, a.d other easels, by
valuation ' • but knowing how extensive have been my ame-
liorations for the last 17 years (one proof among the many,
there is a my' now growing cm 30 acres of land, of mere value
than that lasd produced for 10 years resins to my entry)
—and not being compelled to quit, I shall reserve to myself
a veto on the valuation.
And thus, it seems, must terminate my connexion with a
family I had from my youth up been taught to respect and
honour; and although your grace will not now appreciate
the feeling, I will give it expression. For your lets excel-
lent father, John Duke of Bedford, my esteem and admire•
Lion was hardly exceeded by that I felt for my own father ;
, sea is his memory scarcely lac dear to me. Unhappily for
me, however. such is the change taken place in the Lading
members of the Russell family, that I bar we hold sow but
liter sentiments in common, more especially as regards the
egricultural and commercial policy of the country.
In conclusion, you mast albw me, my lord duke, to say
that the indifference which your grace and many other land-
lords sow manifest to the fearful sacrifice the firming com-
munity have been called to make, only more fully corrobo-
rates what I base longs contended for, namely, that for a
time at leme the middle and lower classes would be the chief
sufferers.
As landlords, you flatter yourselves for the present with
the still remaining competition for land—there was no want
of competition, however, if I mistake not, till very recently,
in the sister country, but what is her condition new ? And
yet, with each examples before your eyes, this beautiful
country is doomed to be Irelandised, her yeomanry impover-
isheo, and only a squalid, poverty-stricken peasantry left a
burden upon the land.
LandLeets will not remain, however, ultimately un-
scathed—the substitution of foreign fur British labour
will tell its tale perhaps sooner than your grace :putts
—when, with the labourers unemployed end driven to
desperation, with an injured and greatly alienated ten-
antry, you may not find it very easy to preserve the
pesee of the country. To stave ofi such calamities as far as
possible, I have, it es true, on all fitting recessions, raised my
humble voice against this modern political heresy call' d free
trade, for which it seems I lose my hone ; still, strong in the
integrity of my =utile*, and in the justice of the cause, 1
will not fear, but with Hod's blessing I shall succeed in *ob-
taining another.
For the sake of the immediate neighbourhood, but more
especially the labourers I shall leave behind, I sincerely hope
your grace may obtain a more deserving tenant. And am,
my lord duke, your very obedient eervaWtt,
aiters BlTUrrit.
To his Grace the Duke of Bedford.

Danger&ld, 8.A., St. Mary's Hall, Oxford ; J. M. Fed,
B A., Worcester Coll , Oxford ; R. FieM, B.A , Muter
Coll., Coked; P. 8. Glubb, Sidney Sussex Coll , Cam-
bridge; A. H. Hamilton, B A., St. John's Cell. Oxford ;
W. C. Hutchison, S.C.L., St. Mary's Hall. Oxford; J. Lux-
ton, B.A. St. Peter's Cull., Cambridge • J. B. Mssaeuger,
8.A., Clare Hall, Cambridge; G. T. Miller, BA., Worces-
ter Cull , Oxford; M. Rice, Bab , QUM? Coll., OM arl; H.
V. Robinson, 8.A., St. John's Cell., Cambridge; A. Swain,
8.A., Pembroke Coll. Cambridge ; G. R. Turner B.A
Gonville and Cahn COII., Cambridge ; J. B. Wollsitionthei,
M.A., Trinity Coll., Oxford.
NAVAL.
ADIIIIIALTY, Ants 4 —Arrothrithors.—Dindylnspeo-
tor.—Dr. JAM'S W. JOHNSTON, to Jamaica Hospital.
Burgeon.—Tnowas Peelle, to Wellesley.
Midskipatan.—Joire Perfuming, to Castor.
Naval Cadets.—Viscount CesnAn, to Castor. CHAIM=
H. Gnisow, to Victory. H. A. H. JOHN MILDMAT, to
Pittard.
PUOYOTlON.—Lientellerit Gamma PARMA, to be eoin-
=owlet.
DEVONPORT. PHIS 3...—ThfATTZglet at. and the Cleopatra
frigate arrived here from the eastward ports this morning.
The Arrogant is bound for the bleiliteranneen, and the
Cleopatra is to be paid advance at this port, and 'sail for the
coast of Africa. The Maynard steam vessel snivel here
, this niereiug also from the eastward. file is to take Ge•
the Mil for the coast of Arica.