The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1819-03-05 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR.

Ste—The great question, whether further rectrcs
should be imposed upon the importation Of
Corn ? does not seem to h4%e been set at rest by the
declaration of his Majesty's Mobsters. The Ago I-
cillturisto are more active that' ever, as the Parha-
inentary Reports of the present week manifest.
have not yet seen one of the Petitions to Podia-
meta, wine') hive been circulatell with so much
activity amongst a particulAr claw!, but I have heard
the nature and extent of their prayer; and have
therefore endeavotped to embody she reasons for it
to a form which I should conceive all parties might
agree in signing.

I am, yours, Su%
A PLAIN DEALER.
To the 114mostahle the !loosen( Commons, ise.
Itl I hie Peilimns of the Agriculturists of the
Comas. UI ---
_ _

Whowean )our ate a numerous and highly re-
ap. et4ble b, ,iv of 1110-11, 191111111,011 C lar{(4! Capitals iii Ilw
cultivating tlr land at the !twit expense of lahoot ; and otwn
waiting in 1141 it pt.isous the Iwo hunt of proprietor and
occupier: _

Am! whereas, the maritime superiority of this country
dining the long scar commencing with the French Revolu-
tions, by cresting a monopoly of foreign commerce, gas e an
activity to its miteinfacturing industry, which called forth a
great additional population, and comermently greatly in-
creased the demand for the produce of the curl; au that
your Pclitiourre were enabled to expend large sums in the
tillage of waste lands with abundant profit, soil both 35 WI/.
tuition and csiltivalors, to pass throngh a period ef
sire taunt no, and only without enduring any pi ironing,
but with a pioitive increase in Ih- it •Isiltsiee and their incli-
nations for eninciilual comfin I and luxury:
Aosl wherras your Petitioners were principally assisted
its obtaititior dose most desirable ends, by a happy adjust-
ment of the wove of labour, and by inventions WhICK Cll.
aided the-ti greatly to 'supersede that troublesome instrithirot
of tillagi is, ilia', iii comparison with the price of corn
nod the rate of "r 'gm the taxes upon the land were really
ion his lie by your Petitioners, but shifted upon the shitulducs
of the lahooreos, a class much better enabled to bear them,
Isecarnw, Iron) the division of Ilse burden amongst PO large a
number of permos, its pressure would be much leas heavy
than nix)," Ilse comparatively small portion of society which
your Petitioners represent.
Anil whereas these hippy err:mermen's were disturbed by
the peace upon the sbuifall of N•polo on Bonaparte, so
tkai unlimited sreporlitissu acorn threatened to make your
Pristousers at mice pay for their rxempt• from the m 'ra-
tions of the roomer twenty years; and short as the Legit-
[More steps in to prevent this, hut, with ail humility be it
*puked, cunecolo ol too much to the illiefs'sis and pii•juolle.-s
of the gri-at muse sit' ow people. So that for the Ixel three
years your Petitioners., by Ike operation of the Importation
I.asa upon the price of their commodity, have hero
lat. ol to the 1114P1Itof men omploying capital and skill in
trade mod consumer, bring. like them, exposed to has,. their
profits curt.llled by the expenditure of the Stair, enabled
only In bring up thew famthes in comi•ct without laying by
large fn. limos for their children, and liable to uccaational
(Minors mising fruni the usual uncertainty of commercial
sportilat in ti.
. . . -

And a here's the injuatire of Noels a "talc of things calls
kindly for ri dress ; and !Marline y mg. Petitioners humbly
truptme your Honourable (loose to it vise that law, by
which 7. ou protected the Agt ieulture of this country in so
partial a manlier, by an "ring the demands and necessities
of the cutisomeis at all to regulate the profits of the cul-
tivators. Aod whereas the merchants and manufacturers
of this cottony are protected against thy iinportatioas of
manufactured fabric., opms that principle 4.f political
economy a hirh detnu••stata that the iirhet of a na:iis
arise from its rouversimi of raw product to the greatest
possible value by the topology of its people, and that there-
fuse this species of labour should be encouraged by imposing
a pi otertiog duty avolist the competition of foreign artitis;
and whereas this proiriple does nut at all apply to the
iniptirlatioo of grant, bre:lose your Petitioners acksinak Ice
that a country raoout permanently routiour to export fahries
%slitting importing corn io s.%cliange. and that this a peCits
of commerce most be great in propurt. to the abil.ty of
lbr torcliainC to promo e cheap Mot. lint your Petit...wit
"snout at a:I coact:ye why they should yie:4l any portion
of their own iolfre sts to the maxims of p'tliti^al t.counotiV
which apply to the whole community. They are satiatie.l
that their own finances were snore prosperous when Curti
was al InOt. la-r guilder, than when it is limited to 50..;
and therefore they ask that the Fame pr.;:t tole of protecting
duties tray be applied against the impair shoo of grain, as
well as nianiorm totes ; sod they conceive that 33 la•r
as an 11111Valelli for the tithe. and talca of ElICIRalt, added
to the average cost of 15 per l'Vki for the freight of corn,
would tante *heat to the fair and proper protecting mita
of 1004 per platter In years of plenty ; and Pilo. by exclud-
ing untaxed food iron the reach of the p•ihulatioo, enable
your Petitioners to set what valise they please 1111051 their
owls commodities,. as a measure of the taxes which as de-
rived from the bull,

Your Petit 11111111 l have heart, with the Ereatest regret, that
his Majesty's Nlinisters Lave rtfitiwil lis sit:Tait their de.
utandx ; and; with due •ithinission, they are at 19 un-
derstand the reason for this iliqappootrition. Plaintlici.d
men have indeed attempted to assert that the addition of
20 per tent. to the price of labour, which would be caused
by a rise of 2.11 per cent. in the price of corn, would be fatal
In WIT fOrrigil ClOllllll4.lVe, and Ilierefare eviawitally lessen
the demand tor titrietiltto al pooh', ; sr.d it has been also
asserted, that a rise in the 'trice of provisiow, in the pre-
sent depressed value of labour. might prtlatlCC FUme Treat
political tuneul.ion. Your 11'4111111,11C111 are sati-fied that
i•och idiretwir: at e aloha( l 11.1011,:$1, and therefore humbly
implore the print clings and conito leaner of vuor lloomirable
iiintt.e, nt filiCioZ them above the posvibiloy of loss in their
speculations upon kitten lands and hiazli rents, in the man-
ner which they di sire; for which they will never erase to
and furthermore will lay nut as Lille money as
profe•Illle with the 1111.1.11,1111111 and shopkeepers, until they
IV:fee 11, lillllll. ai II dal I!. lit soliellte; des, just gml
tw) advaittagea. Ai.r. )our Petitioners &e.