The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1824-05-18 00:00:00

COURT OF COMMON PLEAS. MONDAY, MAY I 7•

RARER V. RIDGWAY.
This wean rule to shew cause why the defendant should not be
discharged out of custody, and satisfaction entered on the judg. ;
meet. The question has occupied the Court for several days. It
appeared that the defendant hail been a wine-merchant, and resided
at the Egyptian Hall, Pioeadilly. In the year DUI be was con.
corned in an action, in which a verdict was given against him for
damages to the amount of upwards of 3.304 n. l' ton this verdict
his person was taken in execution, and he was lutlpd in prison at
the suit of the plaintiff Subsequently a C0111111153i1011 of bankrupt I
issued against him, and the plaintiff, conceiving that he hail better
come in under it, voluntarily discharged the defendant out of cus-
tody. But after this the commission was superseded on the peti.
tion of the petitioning creditor, whose debt was only 3h1., and no '
E eels commission was taken out. In consequence of this feet, the I
plaintiff took out a fresh writ upon the original claim, which the
vertliet for damages gave him against the defendant, and he was
again placed in custody.
Mr. Sergeant BOMAN (aryl', upon these grounds, moved for the
rule, which the Court granted.
Mr. Sergeant VAUGHAN and Mr. Sergeant TADDY 'hewed
cause against it at great length, and were followed by Mr. See.
4eant BOSANQUER and Mr. Sergeant WILDE on Friday and
Saturday, when the argument was postponed until this morning.
Mr. Sergeant Wilma: was acconlingly heard in continuation
upon the ease. lie contended that if there had been fraud upon
the part of the bankrupt, in the issuing and superseding of the
commission, the defendant was still entitled to his discharge ; but
he also argued that there was no evidence of fraud whatever.
The LORD CHIEF JusTicE—Brother Wilde, do you think
that this is a question which ought to be decided upon motion ?
Mr. Justice Paar—The question here is whether the commis.
sion was fraudulent.
Mr. Sergeant WILDE would not continue an argument against
the impression of the Court. This was not the case of a person
who had been discharged by the act of the law, but that of one who
had been voluntarily discharged by the plaintiff'. who thought there
was peoperty, and chose to avail himself of an opportunity of coin-
ing in made, the commission.
The LORD CHIEF Juni. Ice then proceeded to give hi, de-
cision. His Lordehip, in an elaborate judgment, gave his opinion
that the rule should be discharged.
.Me. Justice PARK thought the affidavits were in favour of the
defendant, and that the rule should be made absolute.
Mr. Justice Bu Knout:us concurred in the opinion of the Chief
Justice.
Rule discharged.

THE RICARDO LECTURES.

WILLIS'S ROO3lB, MONDAY, MAY 17.

RENT.

Mr. MiColkielt entered, in this I:tc:ure, into the history of rent,
and an analysis of its nature and causes. By a series of rigid de-
doctions from indisputable facts, he arrived at the conclusion, that
rent does not enter into the coat of raw produce; that rent was the 'I
difference of value, or productiveness, between the best and the '
wont soil cultivated. This doctrine had been first discovered and
published about the sante time, by Mr. West, in the pamphlet
published by him, under the name of "A Fellow of University
College," and Mr. Malthus. A few objections had been made to
it, to which he would advert. It had, in the first place, been ob.
jested, that there wareno land btu paid some rent. Mr. Mill had
justly said, in answer to this ebjalion, that if it were true, the rent
paid by the worst lands was so trilling that it made no alteration
to the doctrine. But lands of no value were let in large quantities,
and it was for some good parts among them that the rent was ac-
tually paid. Suppose that a certain piece of land fed ten bullocks,
and that by applying capital to. the improvement of this land it
fed one bullock more, the farmer would apply that capital, if it
returned the rate of profit which it would return in other employ-
ments, and in addition restore the capital itself at the end of his
lease ; this one bat k was the standard, and would be added or
withdrawn, as the rate of moth was more or less. Mr.
111`Culloch proceed to answer other objections of a similar kind, '
and then reverted to the conclusion that rent did not enter into
the expense of production. Suppose cultivation extended to lands
.of the fifth degree in quality : if this cultivation was further ex.
tended to the sixth degree, it was clear that the increased supply
would depress prices. If the depression of prices reduced the rate
of profit upon the additional capital thus applied, the capital would
be again .withdrawo, and prices would consequently rote in the
same proportion as they bad fallen. Ile had already shewn that
no rem was paid in countries where only the best soil was culti-
vated. Suppose tto loaves of the same quality, the one from the
best land in Kent, and the other from poor soil in the Highlands'
of Scotland, it was quite clear that the prices of both would be the
same, though very high rent was paid for the lands in Kent, and
none at all for those in the Highlands.
This analysis of the nature and causes of rent disclosed a strik-
ing difference between manufactures and agriculture. There
was no limit to improvement in the machinery of manufactures,
and according as machinery was improved, prices were reduced.
On the contrary, in agriculture the best machinery was used in the
that instance; that was, the best soil was first cultivated, and the
extension of cultivation to inferior machinery was the result of
high prices and the cause of rent. litre he quoted with great
praseaouge from Mr. 111althus's Pamphlet, to which he had
before
alluded. The soil of the earth might be considered as ma-
chinery of great variety of qualities and powers. As prices rose
inferior machinery would be called into action ; as prices fell they
would be thrown out of employment. in the first stages of culti.
vaDon no rent was paid. Rent was paid fur lands when inferior
lands came to be cultivated, and capital came to be applied with
diminished returns. The increase of rents depended only on the
extension of tillage. Rents taripi in the inverse ratio of the ex.
Pense of production. But rents, high or low, did not enter into the
I price of the raw produce.
It was the same with the rent of mines and fisheries. The rent
of houses could be considered only as compensation for the capital
employed in them, and the rise or fall of such rent depended en.
tirely on the rise and fall of profits-
This doctrine, equally supported by theory and experience, be-
' sides chewing the totter fa.j, and worthlessness of the cry that
prices depended on rents, was of great importance as it applied to
tithes and other taxes on agricultural produce. It had often been
I said that tithes were ultimately paid by the landlord ; that was
quite unfounded. Tithes were equally exacted front produce in
unfavourable and favourable circumstances, and tell wholly on the
consumer. Lands that did not pay tithes paid higher mot, because
the tithes raised the price of produce on tithed lands, and as there
could not be two prices, the produce of the uptithed lands brought
the same prices. In the event of tithes being abolished, rents
would rot be raised for holds now tithed. but the rents of lands
which now paid no tithes would lath The Rev. Mr. Howlett, rho
ablest advocate of tithes, stated that certain land, paying only
24. n. of rent, paid 7/. or W. in tithes. Now, to suppose that the
tithes in this case fell upon the landlord, would be to suppose that
the whole was taken from a part. He was anxious to bring this
subject before them, because the limits of this course of lectures
would not allow hint to advert to particular taxes, and because It
shewed the real bearing of political economy on the practical pur.
posts of lite. Without a knowledge of the principles of political
economy, a gnrcrninem must he conductal by accident or caprice,
and in ignorance of the cause of prosperity or misery to the com-
munity. When the public should become acquainted with the
sound principles of political economy, they would learn that they
were Out Oa the surface, and that fluent declaimers on political
subjects, who were ignorant of the causes and principles of public'
results, were not w be regarded or trusted.
The company was very numerous, and highly distinguished for
rank and talents. They applauded very cordially at the conclusion
of this lecture.

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