The Express.
London, England, 1850-01-07 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY

AND FINANCIAL REFORM.
IMPORTANT MEETING OF FARMERS AT

STALHAM, NORFOLK.

On Friday evening last a deputation from the
Norwich committee of the National R?form Association,
consisting of J Tillett, E q., and Samuel Fag, EN ,
received a cordial and enthusiastic welcome at Statham—
the centre of one of the most extensive and moot important
vexing districts in the kingdom—to which plus they had
been invited by • number of agriculturists belonging to the
Statham Farmers' Club. The meeting was held at the
Maid's Head Inn, the largest room of which was crowded ;
a very large proportion of the audience canning of large
and influential farmers, several of whom took part in the
proceeding..
ROBERT COOKE, Eq., occupied the chair, and ex-
plained the circumstances in which the meeting originated.
It was called, he said, at the device of himself and several
other farmers resident In that vicinity, who felt the terrible
pressure of the times, and the impossibility of paying taro-
nation outgoings with free trade incomings. He doubted
not that some whom he had then the honour of address-
ing had still • lingering hope that protection would be re-
stored to them, and that, either by a fixed duty or otherwise,
they would again be enabled to obtain the prices
which they had formerly had; hut he would
remind such persons that the corn laws were
abolished by a parliament in which there was a majority of
70 protectionists. And the measure received the sanction,
toe, of the upper house, which, as they were of course aware,
was composed almost entirely of landowners • and yet both
this and the lower house—in which also the landed interest
greatly predominated—were obliged to succumb to the
strong expression of popular will. (Applause) It was of no
use their expecting protection again ; and the only rational
thing they could do was to endeavour to square their m-
ediate by lessening their outgoings. (Cheers.) From
well authentiAited calculations, in consequence of the
enormous taxation of the country, out of every six days'
work which • labourer performed, three wine absorbed by
the state; and if • man in business made 5001. a year,
and lived up to it, he paid one-third in taxes; so the, se it
appeared to him, reduction of taxation was • most important
thing to all. Just one other subject, although a very tender
one, and he would conclude. He referred to tee rent
charge, which he considered to set mast unjustly towards
the occupiers of land—and he spoke as a farmer, feeling the
burden keenly. (Cheers.) He would illustrate what he
meant by • reference to that parish. Stalham had to give—
when the tithes were commuted—instead of that) tithes 630
bushels of whom at 7s. a bushel; 940 of barley, at 41. ,• and
1,3.52 of oats at 21. 9 1.; this year, however, they had paid
823 bushels of wheat at 4s. 9d.; 1,250 of barley at 45.; and
1,480 bushels of oats at 2s. 6d.—being just 731 bushels more.
Coeseiriently the clergyman got by the turn of the law just
one-fourth more of the tithes than the law itself intended.
Verily this was a grievous burden. (Applause.)
Mr. GOWER then moved
" That the taxation of this country is not only excessive
in its amount, but presses most unequally and unfairly on
the producing classes; and, therefore, it is desirable that
agriculturists should promote the effort now being made for
parliamentary and financial reform."
Now, it had struck hint that he might illustrate the man-
ner in which the taxes pressed upon them and upon him-
self, and in fact upon every producer, in the following man-
ner :—He would suppose the case f a farm rented at 6001.
a year; to be remunerating the produce of this farm must
sell at 1,500 i year; and, in tracing how this produce was
disposed of, they would see what proportion of It went to
pay the taxes of this country. The rent (6001.) all went to
the landlord, of course, and he was sure the landlord would
sot say that he paid no taxes. Then then was 100!. for
tithes, and the clergyman there was no doubt would pay
good part of that in indirect taxation. Then there would
be the labourers, a large share of whose wages were spent in
indirect taxation. Then there would be the poor rates—
about 501.—and the expenditure of this would pay
indirect taxes. And, lastly, there would be the long
list of tradesmen's bills ; and they might judge how much
was paid in this way in indirect taxation, when he told them
that it was shown by the prise essay on the subject that •
eau in the middle station of life who lived at the rate of
2004 a year, spent 1751. in neoesseries; whereas these same
aecemanes, if there were no indirect taxes, would only wet
him 1121. 10s. Surely, then, the farm of which he had
spoken %mild not pay lees than 600!. a year in indirect
taxa. (Great applause.) Mr. Gower then proceeded at
some length to state his reasons for supporting the endea-
vour to obtain parliamentary reform, and to show what,
in his opinion, wen the best means of obtaining it,
especially commending the 40e. freehold movement, and
concluded with some remarks on the unfair extent to which
the taxation was laid on the trade and industry of the
oosntry—the total amount of taxes on property being only
9,561,0001., while that on the necessaries of life, such es tea,
malt, tobacco, sugar, wine, timber, bricks, hops, silks, butter,
cheese, glass, he. was 37,288,8031., and the total on trade
and industry so leas than 68,722,0101.
Mr. MURRELL briefly seconded the resolution.
Mr. TILLETT roam to support it. He entered at some
length into a description of the state of parties at the present
time—more particularly the protectionist—and into the
many reasons which induced in his mind the conviction that
it wee utterly useless to expect that protection would be
restored again. He referred to the fact that there were some
who, at the same time that they did not expect to see pro-
tection again, nevertheless expressed a belief that the
farmers might yet prosper end make their trade • remu-
nerative one, by means of drainage, guano, itc. &c.; but
he put it forth as his own deeddia belief that such a
happy state of things could not Do brought about until the
farmers had justice done to them—until their outgoings, as
well as their incomings, were regulated by the system of
free-trade. Mr. Talon concluded by advising the
tenant farmers to seek to become independent men.
When they hind a farm they ought to be so far independ-
ent as to be able to give the landowner what it was worth,
end the landowner ought to be content to take it ; and if by
their system of cultivation they added to the permanent
value of the land, they were certainly entitled to compensa-
tion, and ought to claim it. (Cheer.) He did not care
whether they called it tenant right or otherwise, but without
doubt there ought to be some understanding, so that justice
and fair dealing and independence of spirit might be carried
out in every transaction; and amongst other things they
ought to be &blot° have under leases, so as not to fear being
turned out for exercising their own independent judgments.
Tillett's address was received throughout with great
cheering.)
The resolution having been put from the chair, and unani-
mously carried,
Mr. G. BARBER, of Sutton, a large fernier and a land-
owner, rose and proposed :
" That to promote these objects, the county and national
expenditure should be under the direct control of the tax-
payers, and that such measures of reform should be supported
as will pr dace this important remit—as the only su
guarantee ef permanent economy."
After speaking of the szessive eat of the rural police, he
said, there was mush., Oat he should like to touch upon—
a point width bed bees somewhat delicately handled, but in
reference to which he himself felt no delicacy whatever.
He referred to the tithes. (Cheers.) Them tithes were at
lira appropriated, one-third for the poor, one-third for the
maintenance of the fabric of the church, and one-
third for the support of the clergy ; bat now
the clergy sacked the whole. (Shame! shame!)
He himself paid for rent charge more than 1001. • year, and
the consequence was that he could not employ so many
men as he otherwise should do, es hallow found the bottom
of his pocket much sooner than he otherwise should.
Mr. COOKE, of Hontaad, seconded the resolution. He
observed that these were trying times for agriculturist', but
at the same time no one had felt the times more than he--
as a miller—had dons • he was, however, determined not to
give up without a struggle. He 'Offend the necessity of
retrenchment at least to the expenditure of 1835, and
urged upon the farmers to unite In this new movement, as
the only one from which any permanent geed could be an-
ticipated. (Applause.)
Mr. PIGG supported the resolution, and endeavoured to
impress upon his audience the importance of being
thoroughly alive to their own interests, inasmuch as that
was the only means of bringing about the objects which they
so much desired. Hs pointed out the injustice of the pre-
sent contracted state of the suffrage, by which the interests
of the rick only were represented ; whereas, if may party re-
quired their interest, to be peealioriptradorilesdit e ailimwoul tUof
poor. lie expounded at length the